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The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption? Paperback – Illustrated, March 4, 2008

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

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"Forces even the most sophisticated to rethink and rework their ideas of how images work in the world."--School Library Journal.* Traces the history of the swastika, from religious symbol to reviled symbol * More than 175 illustrations * Powerful examination of the impact of one graphic symbol on society. This acclaimed examination of the most powerful symbol ever created is now available in paperback. The rise and fall of the swastika, and its mysteries and misunderstandings, are fully explained and explored. Readers will be captivated by the twists and turns of the symbol’s fortunes, from its pre-Nazi religious and commercial uses, to the Nazi appropriation and misuse of the form, to its contemporary applications as both a racist and an apolitical logo. In a new afterword, author Steven Heller discusses the controversy around ideas to ban the symbol and public reaction to the book since it was first published. This is a classic story, masterfully told, about how one graphic symbol can endure and influence culture for generations.

Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a
New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steven Heller is co-chair of the MFA Design: Designer as Author+Entrepreneur program at New York's School of Visual Arts. He is the author, editor and co-editor of more than one hundred books on design and popular culture.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Allworth; 1st edition (March 4, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1581155077
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1581155075
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

About the author

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Steven Heller
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Steven Heller, author and editor of over 130 books on graphic design, satiric art and popular culture, is the co-founder and co-chair of the MFA Designer as Author program at the School of Visual Arts, New York. He is also co-founder of the MFA in Design Criticism, MFA in Interaction Design, MFA Social Documentary Film and MPS Branding programs. Although he does not hold an undergraduate or graduate degree he has devoted much of his career to fostering design education venues, opportunities and environments.

On the editorial side, for over 40 years he has been an art director for various underground and mainstream periodicals. For 33 years he was an art director at the New York Times (28 of them as senior art director New York Times Book Review). He currently writes the “Visuals” column for the Book Review and “Graphic Content” for the T-Style/The Moment blog (http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/author/steven-heller/). He is editor of AIGA VOICE: Online Journal of Design, a contributing editor to Print, EYE, and Baseline, and a frequent contributor to Metropolis and ID magazines. He contributes regularly to Design Observer and writes the DAILY HELLER blog for Print Magazine (http://blog.printmag.com/dailyheller/). His 135 books include "Design Literacy, " "Paul Rand," "Graphic Style" (with Seymour Chwast), "Stylepedia" (with Louise Fili), "The Design Entrepreneur" and "Design School Confidential" (both with Lita Talarico), "Iron Fists: Branding the Twentieth Century Totalitarian State", and the most recent, “Born Modern: The Life and Design of Alvin Lustig.”

He is the recipient of the 1999 AIGA Medal for Lifetime Achievement. His website is www.hellerbooks.com and his blog, The Daily Heller sponsored by Print magazine is http://imprint.printmag.com/daily-heller/

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
38 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2010
The Nazis took a symbol with a thousand year history, which they really just ruined for the world. The swastika was used by Native Americans, Nordic Peoples, Polish Mountain Dwellers and Hindus, to name just a few. Only the Hindus use it freely nowadays. This book shows the history of the stolen symbol, from the ancient times to usage in pre-Hitler commercials for products so well known as Coca-Cola. Many of the usages are shown, including types of swastikas found in each region of the world. The book does not concentrate on Nazi usage as many do, though illustrations for that time are also plentiful. It's not long so it really isn't a study book, but it does make an interesting read.
7 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2013
I loved this book so much. I am a Buddhist, myself...and I wish that I didn't get ridiculed so much for wearing the swastika...but sadly enough, people are going to be ignorant. All it takes is a few moments to open up a book and figure out where the symbol came from and what it really meant.
7 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2010
I ordered this book for my kids school project, even though I am a voracious reader, I don't care to know anything about mad man's crazy ideologies. But I digress, book order came fast as expected, which in typical fashion of teenager told me when the project was due in few days, so paid extra for 2 day shipping, and got it in 2 days.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2015
Steven Heller is both graphic designer and historian, This book explains, and better shows, how the Swastica came to be both part of our culture and the symbol of evil. This was the second copy of the book I purchased. It is both unique and interesting.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2016
Not anti semetic
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019
very good,especially the customer service. Thank you so much!
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2008
In a relatively a short book, less then 160 pages, the author Stephen Heller managed to recount the history and usages of this notorious symbol used by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. The book is filled of illustrations showing how this symbol were used by many cultures from many lands across the face of this planet thousands of years prior to Hitler's Third Reich. Hitler's claims that swastika is a pure "Aryan" symbol mocked his own understanding of this symbol. It pretty clear by author's assertions that swastika have been used by many for various purposes. Some of the most interesting aspects the author brought up was that swastika was the symbol the Girl's Club in the United States during the early of the 20th century and each of their magazine covers had swastika all over it.

Although the author touched on the Asian usage of the swastika, he fell little short regarding the Asian elements of the swastika and its meanings. When my father was stationed in Japan, I had a chance to see many swastikas on Japanese temples and surprised to see swastikas adopted into some of the Japanese samurai families' mon (family crest) during that era of history. One of the more funnier things I have seen was reading a Japanese map and seeing all these red swastikas on the map - each of them showing the location of a temple or a shrine. One of my friends who didn't know any better asked once if that map is showing where all the Nazis live in this area.

The author also wrote some interesting stuff on whether this symbol can ever be save from how we see it today, symbol of evil, racism and hate. The book came to a regretful conclusion that as long as there are large numbers of racists and anti-Semites out there using the swastika for their own purpose and with its history, this symbol can never be reclaim in innocence. In some way, the swastika's fate can be linked with the Confederate Battle Flag. Both will always be associated with racism and hate as long as there are people who will used it as such.

Overall, a very useful book and interesting reading material to anyone who wants to know more about this symbol which apparently been hijacked permanently by Adolf Hitler and those like him.
19 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2024
Arrived without book jacket. Disappointed and dissatisfied.

Top reviews from other countries

BV
5.0 out of 5 stars OK
Reviewed in France on September 27, 2020
Donald McDonald
2.0 out of 5 stars The subtitle is misleading
Reviewed in Canada on March 14, 2016
A small, but decent, review of the history, use, and symbolism of of the swastika. I was disappointed that the "irredeemable?" bit of the subtitle didn't get more in depth analysis. The author pretty well says as much in the post script. I suppose I was looking for a bit more in depth semiotics and political philosophy, and less polemic, with the conclusion all but reached ahead of time.
Lillibet
3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best formatted book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2015
Sadly more of a high school text book than an interesting read. I'm sure it's accurate and has clearly been well researched but the format & style make it very difficult for general reading. I was expecting test pages at the end!
2 people found this helpful
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