A full-color, lavishly-illustrated softcover. Stated First Edition. James Avati is the chiaroscuro master of paperback realism and captures a quality in people you don't normally see. While Norman Rockwell painted Americans as we would like to imagine them, Avati depicted them as they were -- often sad, lonely, or up to no good. Many Avati canvases, lost for years, have been salvaged from publishers' warehouses and located in private collections. This book brings together a choice selection of Avati masterpieces from four decades. They present a picture of memorable American art, images of mid- to late-twentieth century America. With this book, graphic designer Piet Schreuders and writer Kenneth Fulton have compiled the most extensive exploration yet of the work of the, "King of the Paperbacks." 200 pp.