Except for a brief introduction, and a description of the International Quilt Study Center, this book consists of color photos of 65 amazing quilts from the IQSC collections. Some of these quilts are well known - the 1867 "Reconciliation Quilt" (album style applique), Salinda Rupp's 1880s pieced sampler (patterns were published in Liz Lois's Nearly Insane ), Mary Ghormley's 1986 Mariner's Compass - but most were new to me.

Each quilt has a full page photo on the left, with one or more detail photos on the facing page. Unlike the "details" in some quilt books, that pull out interesting elements without expanding them, the detail photos in this book zoom in enough to show the block structure, the fabrics, the piecing and/or applique techniques, and the quilting. The "Reconciliation Quilt" has full page photos of 3 blocks, a half page photo of the central house block, and quarter page photos of 5 other blocks.

The detail photos for some quilts include labels with info about the quilt and/or the quiltmaker. In most cases though, the text is limited to the quilt name, where it was made, estimated date range, and the maker's name if known.

If you want patterns, quilter biographies, or heartwarming stories of days gone by, this book is probably not for you. But if you want color photos of glorious quilts, with riotous colors, impossibly tiny piecing, and exquisite applique and quilting, you will not be disappointed. ( )