"Iron Fists: Branding the 20th-Century Totalitarian State" is the first illustrated survey of the propaganda art, graphics, and artifacts created by the totalitarian governments of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, the USSR, and Communist China. The iconography produced by these regimes is universally recognized as their 'brands': the swastika and aggressive typography of Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's streamlined Futurist posters and stylish Black Shirt uniforms, the stolid Social Realism of Stalin's USSR, and Mao's Little Red Book and kitschy ceramic figurines from the Cultural Revolution.Written by the eminent designer and design historian Steven Heller, who has long collected two and three-dimensional examples from this period, "Iron Fists" focuses on graphic materials such as typefaces, logos, posters, advertisements, children's books, flags, and medals. As Heller explains, Mussolini fancied himself an art director and the Nazis had a sophisticated graphic program, featuring Hitler as 'logo,' that is remarkably similar to modern corporate identity systems. Heller also explores the meaning of color systems (each dictatorship had a distinctive palette), the development of regime-specific typefaces, and even the slogans used to both rally and terrorize the populace. Delving into the history of once-innocent antecedents in heraldry, color symbolism, and sacred and secular symbols, he demonstrates how these elements were put to disturbingly effective use in selling the totalitarian message.
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About the Author
Steven Heller is a Senior Art Director at the New York Times and co-chair of the MFA/Design Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. A respected authority in the design world, he has written and coauthored numerous publications, include Merz to Emigre and Beyond, also published by Phaidon.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By iamaweasel
Format:Hardcover
Having spent the last 17+ years living and working in Central & Eastern Europe I've become besotted with the iconography of those totalitarian states. Manifested in art of course, but far more interestingly in the everyday and prosaic: posters, architecture, monuments, magazine covers; everything that has some form of visual expression.
This book is nicely presented (but I'd not expect anything less from Phaidon) but it is nothing more that a summary tome - lightweight and frankly lacking in anything more than a very superficial coverage.
It's a big ask to cover such a subject in a single volume, but this is still lamentably thin. Weighted in terms of content heavily towards the fascist states (which overall existed for less than 20 years) with approx 2/3rds of the book covering Italy and Germany cf the communist states of China, South East Asia (not addressed at all) and the Soviet Union. But even the fascist's are ill-served (can I really have just written that?!). Nothing on Franco's Spain, the right-wing junta's in Portugal and Greece; nothing at all on South and Central American Totalitarianism.
A poor effort: 2*s for the overall quality of the offering, but really it only deserves 1* for the content.
This book is nicely presented (but I'd not expect anything less from Phaidon) but it is nothing more that a summary tome - lightweight and frankly lacking in anything more than a very superficial coverage.
It's a big ask to cover such a subject in a single volume, but this is still lamentably thin. Weighted in terms of content heavily towards the fascist states (which overall existed for less than 20 years) with approx 2/3rds of the book covering Italy and Germany cf the communist states of China, South East Asia (not addressed at all) and the Soviet Union. But even the fascist's are ill-served (can I really have just written that?!). Nothing on Franco's Spain, the right-wing junta's in Portugal and Greece; nothing at all on South and Central American Totalitarianism.
A poor effort: 2*s for the overall quality of the offering, but really it only deserves 1* for the content.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a great coffee-table book in terms of the rich illustrations. The commentary too is stimulating and educational. My only complaint is the lack of breadth - the book covers Hitler, Stalin and Mao to death but gives precious little information on Franco, Pinochet, Castro, Peron and many others. As such it's difficult for the reader to reach any overall conclusions or to take those of the author seriously. Nevertheless, without doubt this is a beautiful book and I don't hesitate to recommend it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
an eye opener, coca cola and nazi germany: two strong brands
11 Aug 2008
By A. M. Vliegenthart
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Steven Heller's "Iron Fists" makes a sophisticated and visually arresting comparison between modern corporate-branding strategies - slogans, mascots, jingles and the rest - and those adopted by "four of the most destructive 20th-century totalitarian regimes": Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin, and Mao's China. As he pursues his four "case studies," Heller, by means of unsettling images and shrewd analysis, amply restores the vileness to branding.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
dictators and graphic design
8 Sep 2008
By Mauricio Quiroga I. Websites
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a great book that any graphic designer or history lover should have. It tells you how Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin and the chinese leaders were capable to move and brainwash the population of their respective countries by using the propaganda.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!! Ten stars!
3 Sep 2011
By Mauricio
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book it's a jewel itself!, an historic journey through totalitarian propaganda.
Must say that Pheidon books are all remarkables, the quality it's brilliant. Maybe the best book i own.
Must say that Pheidon books are all remarkables, the quality it's brilliant. Maybe the best book i own.
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