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Here's proof that sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. At least, that's the idea.

source: Mitchell Beazley

That is, in Front Cover Alan Powers argues gently that the best book-cover designs are the ones that are most sensitive to the content of the book they enclose. As a result, this book is far from merely a coffee-table book stuffed with pretty pictures! (Though with nearly 300 high-quality reproductions of book covers, both well known and obscure, the eye candy alone is worth the price.) Powers knows that good design depends upon its context — and of course the context of the dust-jacket is the text itself.

As a result, careful readers of this book will learn much about literature as well as design. (I myself generated quite a list of titles I want to check out.) He consistently praises designers like Alvin Lustig, who "proved that a jacket designer needs to have read a text intelligently in order to summarize its mood and content without trivializing it" (52), and in many cases Powers himself has clearly read these books inside and out. He seems to have selected a good proportion of his examples for just such design intelligence, and does a great job pointing out and analyzing it. At his side, we learn more fully to appreciate "books whose insides and outsides [are] stylistically matched" (41).

Though it isn't advertised in the title or cover copy, there is definitely a subtle British (even English) orientation to Powers's treatment. Rightly or wrongly (mostly rightly, I figure), the Continent comes off as something of a barren field when it comes to cover design; and he regards America as a source more of graphic exuberance and energy than of wisdom or even true inspiration.

But this English tilt need not detract from the appeal of the book, because Powers more than delivers on his promise to cover a wide range of "great book jacket and cover design." His treatment is historically organized, complemented with consideration of broad movements like modernism, of genres like the crime novel, and of notable, individual designers. Although the visual treasure-trove is what first catches the eye when picking this book up, the text is substantial and very tightly written.

One unavoidable question: Is the cover of this book itself a great cover? I'm not sure I'd say so, though the jam-packed, tiled layout of dozens of covers was an irresistible choice. But on Powers's own terms, I'd say his cover fails to suggest the full richness of the contents. (For the record, the nice, large cover image that Amazon serves up for this title is a different version than seems to be currently available for sale or from the publishers, Mitchell Beazley.)

Powers is a dangerous man: he has made me want to visit used-book stores and buy books just for their covers.

Considered in this review: Alan Powers, Front Cover: Great Book Jacket and Cover Design (London: Mitchell Beazley, 2001).

Many thanks to typographi.com for their posting that originally drew my attention to this book.

first published Nov 10, 2004