Book Description

In the years following World War II, images of comradeship, particularly of men being physically close, largely disappeared from the public record. But, as these stunning photographs attest, ordinary American men in the extraordinary circumstances of World War II were affectionate, winsome, and playful-disarmingly innocent in a time of cataclysmic peril.

Led by photography giant Captain Edward J. Steichen, the U.S. Naval Aviation Photographic Unit was organized during the war to record the daily experiences of Navy men all over the world and provide newspapers and magazines with images to promote the American cause. The unit's photographers, which included Wayne Miller, Horace Bristol, Victor Jorgensen, and Barrett Gallagher, took thousands of pictures of soldiers as they relaxed, trained, prepared for the next battle, and waited.

This book brings together more than 150 of those photographs, culled from the National Archives, including many that have never before been published. Whereas World War II imagery tends to be dominated by combat photography and monumental depictions of weaponry, these photographs offer a rare, intimate look at the Navy men themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Coming Together, Navy Men
I absolutely "loved" this book from the first moment I picked it up and opened its first page. The photographs captivate a time when men could show affection without the worry of not being masculine enough. Thank you Evan Bachner for sharing your vision and putting together these marvellous photographs of this celebrated time in History. My dad was in the Navy during World War II and lived on a destroyer, and he has just recently started telling me some of "his" stories of being out at sea, sometimes for months at a time. I came across photographs years ago when I was just a young man of my dad and his ship-mates, and his photographs could easily been a part of this beautiful collection that Evan Bachner has displayed in "At Ease". I look forward to "At Ease,part Two."

At Ease is Easy on the eye
It's great to see so many men lying around, playing together, touching each other without guilt, and in general being best friends. The photos are high quality with great composition. I wish there were more opportunities for men to be so At Ease with each other.

A Remarkable Collection, Nostalgia at its Finest
I loved spending time with this book, not just because it was terrific eye candy, but because it unearthed a vision of life during World War II that hasn't really been seen in this kind of photographic detail. Evan Bachner did a terrific job compiling this book and his six years of work on it was well spent.

Incredibly moving
The world WAS different then. The people WERE better. What a beautiful and moving record of a country whose spirit has died. Thank you, Evan Bachner, for unearthing and sharing this long-lost treasure.

A Beautiful Book
The photos in this wonderful book are vastly different from those that we normally see from the WW2 era. But that's exactly what is so compelling about them. All at once they're touching, erotic, and sexy. A must-have book for any photography collector. ... Read more

Book Description

Increasingly heralded for his influence, Slim Aarons has established his place in the pantheon of great postwar photographers. It was Aarons who perfected, if not invented, the environmental portrait while photographing the international elite in their exclusive playgrounds during the jet-set decades of the '50s, '60s, and '70s, carrying out his self-described mission: to document "attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places."

This luxurious book is the ultimate insider's view of the lifestyles of the wealthy, privileged, and powerful. Aarons's first book in nearly 30 years (his long-out-of-print A Wonderful Time is a collector's item fetching more than $1,000 a copy) is an eagerly anticipated publishing event. Presenting Hollywood royalty, European aristocracy, the grande dames of high society, captains of industry, media moguls, statesmen, and luminaries of various stripes, across a vast geography of opulent and glamorous settings, Slim Aarons's photographs-some 250 of which are included here-define the Beautiful People and document a lost era of style, grace, and grandeur. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wow! Was I born too late?
Mr. Aarons...what a treasure! I won't bother with many words...just...wow is enough! ... Read more

Book Description

Originally published in 1987, Joel Sternfeld’s now-classic view of America is here remastered, redesigned, and reprinted at a larger, brighter, truer scale. Finally, photography and offset printing techniques have caught up with Sternfeld’s eye, and this new edition of American Prospects succeeds in presenting Sternfeld’s most seminal work as it has always meant to be shown. A specially-commissioned essay by Kerry Brougher, Chief Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, considers the historical context in which Sternfeld was working and the pivotal role that American Prospects has played in the course of contemporary filmmaking and art photography. In American Prospects, a fireman shops for a pumpkin while a house burns in the background; a group of motorcyclists stop at the side of the road to take in a stunning, placid view of Bear Lake, Utah; the high-tech world headquarters of the Manville Corporation sits in picturesque Colorado, obscured by a defiant boulder; a lone basketball net stands in the desert near Lake Powell in Arizona; and a cookie-cutter suburban housing settlement rests squarely amongst rolling hills in Pendleton, Oregon. Sternfeld's photographic tour of America is a search for the truth of a country not just as it exists in a particular era but as it is in its ever-evolving essence. It is a sad poem, but also a funny and generous one, recognizing endurance, poignant beauty, and determination within its sometimes tense, often ironic juxtapositions of man and nature, technology and ruin. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

The best photo-art book ever. Period.
Okay, so this book contains pictures of girls under 18 in the nude. Try to look at the bigger picture. That would be all that is beautiful in our world, and David hamilton has tried to fit as much as he can in one place. Many before him have tried, none have succeeded as he has. the pictures of countrysides, seascapes and Italian villas all join together with the aforemetioned images to create a perfect symmetry of beauty. This book is well worth its price, and then some.

Absolutely stunning!!
This is 'THE' Hamilton book to own! I have never seen anything so beautiful and classical as this before. Hamilton is a true master artist and this book shows the depths to which he explores his art. As one other reader said, when you see the pages of this book unfold before you, you feel as if you are entering a classical landscape of beauty and enchantment. The subject matter (young girls) is a heated topic, however the way Hamilton photographs each subject is a tribute to the eye of a master. There is nothing obscene or pornographic in the pages of this book. This is pure and innocent beauty from a period in life where everything is confusing and magical. The goal of any great photographer should be to show us the world we don't see, to show us what we have all around us but never stop to notice. Hamilton is a great photographer and his landscapes and nudes show us the erotic and mystical in our world.

Buy this book. It is worth every penny.

NO NO NO
I agree with another reviewer that said it isn't right to take young girls and pose them in unnatural and erotic positions so that we may "say" that we want to enjoy their "beauty." I didn't see one photo (albeit I didn't search through the whole book) of naked boys posed in such a way. If youthful nudity is so beautiful, why aren't both sexes recognized? I suspect that this artist isn't interested in male "beauty." I felt that these girls were all exploited by the artist (and every person that buys this book).

(...)

Interesting Collection of his Work
The book has photos spanning David Hamilton's career as well as a bit of an auto-biographical essay of his life and how he got into photographing beautiful young models.

The pictures include nude models as well as subjects like flowers, landscapes, and personal photos.

My complaints about the book is that the pictures are usually too small to be appreciated and the quality of the post-production is not top class. Though there are many nice photos, it does not justify the work of the photographer.

Nonetheless Hamilton's books are hard to find and always go out of print. Overall, it is worth buying.

BEAUTIFUL!!!
This book is a masterpiece! Everything about it is just plain beautiful. I can't believe that Hamilton ever had problems with these incredible pictures that he has taken. And that takes us back to what is art? and what is pornography? It seems that in this country, people tend to believe that if a girl is under the age of 18 and nude, it is pornography. Hamilton has proved them wrong. If it is legal for familys, which do in a lot of cases include young girls and teenage girls, to go to nudist colonies or be naturists, where they are nude three fourths of the time, why is it not right for someone to capture this beautiful lifestyle on film?

The female body, at any age is a very beautiful thing, and not many people will let themselves admit this. I find it especially beautiful when the girls are at the brink of womanhood, and there bodies are changing. Why is it so hard to find this stunning for people???

You will find portraits of everything in this book, from swimming, to sleeping, to just plain stand up posing for the camera. Also, this book includes other works of Hamilton. Works like nature etc.

In one word, this book is Beautiful, and so is Hamilton, for doing something that very few people can do. That is to realize that there is natural beauty in everyone, and he photographed it. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Award-winning photographer Adam Kufeld takes on the always popular subject of flowers in a fresh and provocative way, using a close-range lens to describe the intricate, surprising forms hidden inside blossoms. His macro lens allows Kufeld to capture detail invisible to the naked eye, and take advantage of the naturally brilliant color and suggestive forms of petal, stamen, and pistil to create images that transform their subject. His elegant, stylized, seductive portraits depict common garden flowers, including morning glories, bougainvillea, daisies, poppies, lilies, zinnias, roses, and passion flowers, as well as more exotic varieties, such as orchids. His original GiclÈe prints, on traditional watercolor paper, have been hugely successful in exhibition. Flowers: Portraits of Intimacy includes more than 60 photographs captioned with the common name of the flower and an introduction by acclaimed floral designer Rebecca Cole. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A visual, exquisite journey
Adam Kufeld's book on flowers is a pure delight. It is a fantasy book in the truest sense -- it allows your imagination to soar as these beautiful photographs take you from the depths of the sea to the farthest reaches of outer space, all in the limitless creation of your mind's eye. Kufeld's photographic vision turns flowers into abstract paintings, into fantastic creatures, into images so sensual that they should be viewed in the privacy of one's boudoir! Kufeld leads us into the delicate private sanctum of the heart of the flower, revealing the intricate gloriously rich world that is so easily overlooked in our hurried lives. What a delicious treat!

Flowers: Portraits of Intimacy
Stunning!!! I have just poured over my copy of this book and am amazed by the depth, color and sumptuousness of these photographs. Flowers will never look the same after you see this book. Mr. Kufeld has explored the inner sanctum of one of nature's greatest wonders as though it were uncharted territory. His gentle touch and perceptive eye have rendered the universe hiding behind each petal like a magical netherworld.

The Poetry of Flowers
The images in Flowers: Portraits of Intimacy, by Adam Kufeld, are reminiscent of Georgia O'Keeffe's erotic portraits of flowers, yet each one is wholly original. Kufeld brings details--a pistil, stamen, or ring of petals--into sharp focus, letting the background become softly blurred. The result of this selective emphasis is the creation of foreground and distances, so that each orchid, lily, daisy, and rose becomes a world unto itself, a beautiful, intoxicating world that the viewer longs to enter. Kufeld has captured the poetry of flowers--starbursts, silvery cascades, lips, fingers, and dazzling flesh. This is not photojournalism or scientific photography: it is exquisite art.

Visually Enchanting
I have always been a huge fan of close-up photography, especially when the subject-matter is nature. I recently saw this book, and was amazed at the clarity, and the intense colors eminating from each page.

I will definitely be passing this one on to family and friends who appreciate incredible photography like I do!

Flowers As You Have Never Before Imagined Them
This is an exquisite book.Through the expert use of microphotography, Mr. Kufeld transports us to a world within flowers which defies the imagination. Combining consummate photographic skill with the vision of an artist, Kufeld presents flowers as though they were paintings. The images are passionate and sensual. They awaken all of the senses. One sees flowers in a new and special way after spending time with this book. This is a book for self reflection, for giving to someone you really care about. It is for plant and flower lovers, lovers of nature, lovers in general. And if there is someone who is not particularly into flowers, this book may well give them a new perspective. ... Read more

Book Description

"The finest pictures ever taken of cats," says The Atlantic Monthly of Hans Silvester's photographs of Greek cats languorously stretched along whitewashed walls and sun-drenched pathways. The Complete Cats in the Sun is the essential Hans Silvester: together in one book are all the free-spirited felines from the enormously popular Cats in the Sun, Asleep in the Sun, and The Mediterranean Cat. This is a beautiful one-volume collection of those memorable cats leaping from one fishing boat to the next, prowling across the rounded azure rooftops in search of the perfect place for a quick nap in the sun, or slinking through the cool shadows of a Mediterranean afternoon.

The Complete Cats in the Sun is destined to become the classic gift book for lovers of felines, the sun, and the magic that is the Grecian Isles. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Fabulous photos!
The photos in this book were beautiful. Even if you're not a cat lover, the backdrop of Greece is amazing. The book is a real picture book with very little text except for the author's foreword.

I am writing this review to let you know that the "animal lovers beware" review didn't tell you the whole story. I, too, was in Greece (recently) and I know what this reviewer is referring to -- I saw some very shabby cats in need of medical attention and food. However, that said, if the reviewer had bothered to read the author's foreword, they would have noticed that Silvester says that this "cat paradise" exists only in his book and he recognizes that the cats do not have it easy. He then goes on to explain the relationship that the cats have with the Greeks. Having been to Greece, I realized myself that over there cats are sort of like squirrels to us. We tolerate them, sometimes like them and feed them, but for the most part, we see them as part of the environment. That's basically what cats are in Greece, in my opinion.

So, take this book for what it is -- it's meant to be a beautiful picture book and not some misinformed statement on the plight of cats in Greece. Buy the book because you'll be amazed, amused, and awed by the pictures. Read the foreword, too, and you'll get a better sense of the whole picture.

A great coffee table book
As a cat lover, I wanted something cat-related in my office that didn't make me look like a loony. It's so easy to go overboard with squishy, sentimental nonsense about cats. This book is elegant and tasteful. The cats are photgraphed doing what cats do. Sleeping, watching, stretching, hanging out, eating fish, keeping a watchful eye on nearby dogs, etc. It's a celebration of cats the way nature made them. I use it as the conversation piece in my office and open it to a new cat picture every day. The photos are beautiful and the settings spectacular.

Beautiful, Sweet
I was a shelver at the library and one day I was shelving this book. I fell in love and HAD to buy it. The pictures are artistic and beautiful. The cat images capture the essence of cats, and are just simply wonderful. There are no Cat Fancy groomed cats, but just cats acting themselves - stretching, sleeping, curious - it's all there and with exceptional photography.

It is difficult to find words to describe this great book, so all I can say is that if you are a cat lover, or know someone who is, this book is the best you could buy. I normally wouldn't buy a book like this, but looking at it is so fun that I had no choice!

A cat-aholic's Dream!!
This book is WONDERFUL. The photos are stunning. I love it!

The best present for a cat lover!!!
I have bought each & every of Hans Silvester's creation & this has to be the best! I like photographers who take their subjects in the wild, in their natural environment. Only in this way can you really capture the spirit of the cats. You may also want to try Jack Couffer's The Cats of Lamu - a pictorial with narration. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

brooklyn friends
an interesting collection of photos of youths living in brooklyn during the 50's
im not quite sure why this is referred to as a gang--as there is no gang type of life really shown in these images. a better name for this book should have been BROOKLYN FRIENDS

Brooklyn Gang: Summer 1959
This is some of the most emotional pictures I have seen.Brooklyn Gangs rates as my favorite photo books of all time.

Stunning edition of a most evocative vintage NY photo study
This new edition of Bruce Davidson's classic study of tough New York youths in the 50's, marks a most welcome and sure-to-be-collected photo book.The reproductions and layout are superb, rich and textured, and theaccompanying text is illuminating.And this doesn't even begin to describethe superb images Davidson, one of the world's great "streetphotographers" captures here. In all, without much of Davidson's workin-print, aside from "Central Park," this is one that artphotograpahy fans and those interested in New York's colorful past willsurely want to own. ... Read more

Book Description

A sensual, visually opulent photographic history of the nude athlete.

The history of sports is also a history of nude photography. Sports and games—indeed all forms of physical culture—have always been practiced in a state of at least semi-nudity. Yet never before have the sensual and erotic aspects of sports been celebrated with such enthusiasm as they are today.

Peter Kuhnst's thoughtful selection of images traces the history of the nude athlete in photography from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. From Eadweard Muybridge's motion studies of runners and javelin throwers, through European Naturism, the painterly photography of Pictorialism, and Leni Riefenstahl's work under the Third Reich, to stunning contemporary photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber, and Annie Leibovitz, the list of photographers is long and varied, and their styles range from traditional to rebellious to humorous to provocative.

This sumptuous and beautifully printed survey is sure to captivate both lovers of fine photography and sports fans.

With 160 photographs in color and duotone by: Yann Arthus-Bertrand • Diana Blok • Lynn Davis • Thomas Eakins • Greg Gorman • André Kertész • Annie Leibovitz • Herbert List • Robert Mapplethorpe • Eadweard Muybridge • Leni Riefenstahl • Herb Ritts • Frank Eugene Smith • Bruce Weber • and many others ... Read more

Book Description

The Photographs of Ansel Adams with the Writings of John Muir

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ansel Adams whose landmark early photographs of wild America, originally taken for the Works Progress Administration, fill the pages of this splendid volume.Adams' breathtaking images are accompanied by excerpts from the writings of Sierra Club founder John Muir, the renowned conservationist who devoted his life to celebrating and preserving the American wilderness. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Great Book
If you're a fan of Ansel Adams, you will absolutely love this book. It's 127 pages of breathtaking photography with poetic writings by John Muir. The images fill the entire page while subtle text accompanies the photographs. "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out until sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." These passages work hand in hand with the photographs giving a meditative quality about them. For a split moment you actually feel like you are physically standing in that surrounding and experiencing the beauty of nature. Adams and Muir work as a unit to document this beautiful phenomenon we call nature and present it to us in this book called America's Wilderness.
This book allows you to appreciate the beauty of America from the vast mountaintops to the endless plains to the ever-changing cloud formation. He captures the essence of Mother Nature and all her minute details. This book would be far from complete if it were not for the eloquent writings of John Muir. Though Muir has long passed away, his writing, fortunately, will never depart.

Great book!
If you're a fan of Ansel Adams, you will absolutely love this book. It's 127 pages of breathtaking photography with poetic writings by John Muir. The images fill the entire page while subtle text accompanies the photographs. "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out until sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." These passages work hand in hand with the photographs giving a meditative quality about them. For a split moment you actually feel like you are physically standing in that surrounding and experiencing the beauty of nature. Adams and Muir work as a unit to document this beautiful phenomenon we call nature and present it to us in this book called America's Wilderness.
This book allows you to appreciate the beauty of America from the vast mountaintops to the endless plains to the ever-changing cloud formation. He captures the essence of Mother Nature and all her minute details. This book would be far from complete if it were not for the eloquent writings of John Muir. Though Muir has long passed away, his writing, fortunately, will never depart.

Great Images
If you're a fan of Ansel Adams, you will absolutely love this book. It's 127 pages of breathtaking photography with poetic writings by John Muir. The images fill the entire page while subtle text accompanies the photographs. "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out until sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." These passages work hand in hand with the photographs giving a meditative quality about them. For a split moment you actually feel like you are physically standing in that surrounding and experiencing the beauty of nature. Adams and Muir work as a unit to document this beautiful phenomenon we call nature and present it to us in this book called America's Wilderness.
This book allows you to appreciate the beauty of America from the vast mountaintops to the endless plains to the ever-changing cloud formation. He captures the essence of Mother Nature and all her minute details. This book would be far from complete if it were not for the eloquent writings of John Muir. Though Muir has long passed away, his writing, fortunately, will never depart.

Awful quality
This book is not worth the paper, believe me! I don't know if it's because 'printed in China', but the photos are not comparable with other Ansel Adams books or calendars. Please don't mix it up with the hardcover version which is >100$.

Awful printing quality bad shadow detail, poor sharpness
Terrible printing quality of photos that are obscure because they're not that good. Whether the lack of sharpness in these is down to the paper, the printer, or the photographer (yes, even Ansel took crap at times, and people seem determined to publish everything he ever did, however bad!), I don't know, but the lack of sharpness and the awful shadow detail make this book an absolute waste of time. Maybe it will impress a non-photographer (simply so they can boast having a book of Adams's shots) - but a photographer is wasting their money. ... Read more

Book Description

Three years ago Yann Arthus-Bertrand's Earth FromAbove-the result of a five-year airborne odyssey across five continents-was published around the world to critical and popular acclaim.Now, Arthus-Bertrand's monumental achievement is available in a revised and expanded edition: Here are all the astonishing original photographs together with 17 new images and authoritative new texts by world-renowned environmentalist Lester Brown and other well-known ecologists-all at the new low price of $45.00!

Arthus-Bertrand's remarkable aerial photographs offer the most revealing and spectacular portrait of our world ever created. Produced under the sponsorship of UNESCO, the book is also a unique documentary record of the state of the world's fragile environment. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

good subject, great presentation, fair execution
When I first saw this book, I figured it was exactly what I was looking for - striking perspectives and colors of the earth like the Orbit book, but from a lower altitude. The amazing images on the front and back cover make you belive this. Although there are a good bunch of these types of pictures, most photos are neither close and abstract enough to feel artsy, nor wide and far enough back to encompase an entire scene. It felt as though it wanted to be one way or the other - as though many shots were cropped arbitrarily from some greater image. The wide format of the book has potential for dramatic compositions, but few of the images seem to take strong advantage of this.

However, the printing and binding of the book is so excellent, its worth the price of admission alone. The prints themselves could use a bit more saturation, but the 365 glossy photos, heavy duty spine, and massive color and subject variety make this a good find none the less.

Soak in a Book Well Worth Every Cent (it sells itself)
I saw this amazing exhibit, "La Terre Vue Du Ciel", of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's in the Jardin du Luxembourg Senat when I was in Paris a few weeks ago. The exhibit included much larger-than poster-sized photos that are some of the same photos contained in the book. They were spectacular and breath-taking. Stunning really. But if you can't afford to go to Paris, or if you can't get a hold of a poster of his work, this book is a fantastic collection of awesome, thoughtful, inspiring, thought-provoking, and humanistic usually unseen images taken from above Earth, that have an incredible aesthetic beauty. I can't recommend this book more highly. I was going to purchase 3-4 of them myself for me and my family and friends. However, I waited to get back to the US before doing so since they are large and very heavy due to the high-quality paper the photos are printed on. I was sorry they would not fit in my luggage as I had wished to stare at the photos for many hours on the plane trip home. Many kudos to Yann Arthus-Bertrand for an outstanding artistic work! Bravo! I hope to see another exhibit by this talented photographer in Paris or the U.S. in the near future.

A world above
I seldom buy books on impulse. This volume? I saw it and bought it. Use all the superlatives here. Not that the photography is spectacular which it is, not that the subjects are perfectly framed which they are and not that the colors are strikingly vibrant which as you will see is true. But even if all these things were not true this book transports me to hundreds of places I want to go. They are pictures of places I dream of all over the world. And let me tell you a story. My dad is in the hospital with little chance of recovery [82 and has had a good life] I know he has always wanted to travel but because of life circumstances he has not. In this book there are 365 pictures of all the places he's always wanted to go. I held each one up to him as he lay in his hospital room and he wept with the dreams that never happened. I love this book and have bought two more since as gifts. Simply the best and I never buy picture books.

Exhibit is the only thing better!
If you go to the exhibit-- you'll feel you MUST have this book. If you don't go-- this is second best!

Great joy and a few minor complaints
This is a wonderful book, one that you can spread in front of yourself and a loved one (it is a big, heavy tome). The captions do tend at times to "leap" to moralizing remarks about matters ecological, but that's fine with me, especially given the depressing political attitudes toward conservation over the last few years. Anyone who can nudge public opinion back to concern for the environment is doing a real service. A few minor complaints about the book, though: 1. Those who have seen the outdoor exhibition of these images in London or Paris will find the versions here are not quite as tight or vibrant. 2. The spreading of the images across two pages breaks many of the powerful views down the middle. (I wonder if the 24-hour format is bound differently, as it appears on the Amazon site.) 3. Perhaps the most striking image, one of the great dromedary caravan photos (P. 173) appears only on the caption flap in miniature form. The large image to which it supposedly refers (pp. 178-79) has been replaced by a slightly different, and less powerful, image (cropped differently and with darker shadows obscuring the surreal Z-pattern of the dune-and-dromedary shadow). But these are petty objections. A wonderful book for fans of photography and nature, and a great gift. ... Read more

Book Description

On October 22, 2002, more than 125 of the world's finest photographers set out on a unique global mission. Their instructions were simple: look beyond the daily news headlines, dig beneath the breaking stories, and capture what life is like on an ordinary day for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces around the world.

For 24 consecutive hours, this prize-winning team of civilian and military photographers -- working with the cooperation and support of the Department of Defense -- chronicled daily life in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

The resulting book of photographs documents the lives of elite units and freshly minted recruits; of cadets, generals, fire-fighters, medics, and MPs; of soldiers at desolate outposts and on strategic bases. It illustrates life in the cockpit of a fighter, on a Trident submarine, in an underground missile silo, and at computer terminals in a war room. It shows personnel patrolling borders, jungles, mountains, and harbors; training for special operations; and fighting terrorism.

It is a timeless portrait -- in indelible images and eloquent words -- of the men and women who wear the uniforms of the American military. They are your sons, daughters, spouses, neighbors, and friends.

Together these photographs provide an inspiring visual reminder of the routine and heroic operations, the sacrifices and dedication, that are necessary to defend America's freedoms 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Reviews (7)

A Typical Day in the U.S. Military
Everyone has been talking about the United States military in the recent past, thanks to the ongoing war against Iraq. Photos are sent back from the Middle East showing the soldiers in their military garb with weapons in hand and we constantly hear about how the war is going. We expect this during times of war, but what takes place in a normal day when there is no war to fight? What do the military personnell do in a typical day?

These questions can be quickly answered by reading this book. It's mostly a collection of photographs, with only a minimal amount of wording. It starts out in the early morning hours, showing photos of military men and women eating breakfast and engaging in physical workouts, then proceeds throughout the day, ending with pictures of night time security workers checking highly sensitive places to make sure all is clear.

This book is 256 pages in length, but it includes mostly pictures, so it doesn't take very long to read. It is well- organized, too, with an introduction by Walter Cronkite and a world map on each page, indicating the area of the world where a particular picture was taken. And the photos, like I mentioned above, are organized in order of the time of day they were taken, allowing the reader to follow along from sunrise to sunset and gain a better understanding of what life is like in the military.

This coffee table- size book makes contains many great pictures, showing men and women at work and at play with their families and friends. It's a nice addition to any home library and it proves to be a good educational guide, letting readers see and understand exactly what takes place during a normal day for the United States military personnel.

Pictorial summary of our military
This book creates a snapshot of life in the U.S. military, by showing us a large collection of pictures from across the world, displaying what the U.S. military does in different places on a certain day. The pictures are high in quality, and the captions concise. This is a good book for people thinking of joining the military, or for those with a loved one already in the military.

The American Military Family passes in review
What a great theme to choose to revive the "A Day In the Life Of..." series! The predictably excellent photos (except for one field portrait where the camera's autofocus missed the subject) are a wonderful documentary of a single day in the globe-spanning mission of America's military.

Familiar images inevitably occur: Drill sergeants bawling out rattled recruits; wide-angle nose shots of fighter jets, flight deck sailors giving "launch" hand signals to carrier pilots; mud-slathered soldiers crawling through training courses, anonymity-suggesting group photos; and individual portraits showing the full range of humanity that calls America home.

There are also plenty of pleasing novelties, at least to me. A soldier in Hawaii snaps a salute while carrying a surfboard. Soldiers run station drills around a golf green, the only one on the one-hole course, in the Korean DMZ. A SEAL emerges, like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now, from the water. A seemingly prosaic picture of a cadet eating upon closer inspection reveals a meal of pancakes, cake, nachos, a pork chop, a hot dog, and other unharmonious victuals. Women and families are plentifully represented throughout.

We get representative shots of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield, a rear view of President Bush disembarking from Air Force One, a National Security Agency lab, and pictures of the troops in Afghanistan on the job. The closest thing to actual trouble that was going on on this day, that was allowed to be photographed, was a forensic investigator examining a Marine's sabotaged parachute. So, there are no pictures of military intelligence giving prisoners an interrogation, though there is a picture of Camp Gitmo.

This is a splendid album, technically and thematically, of America's best.

A Photographer in Erie PA
Like previous "day in the life," books...this one features 125 of the top photo jounalists capturing a slice of life of a given subject. These are photo jounalists...not to be confused with studio portrait photography...this is an amazing portrayal of the hard work, discipline, and tradition of the military. It tells the tale of new "greatest generation," those young men and women who sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy everyday. If you have doubts about the direction of this nation...one look at these pages and you can rest assured the future is well cared for.

Beautiful gift book -- Thank you to our Armed Forces!
This book is filled with great moments and beautiful photographs, and shows a lot of the behind-the-scenes moments. It's a tribute to all the young men and women who have put their lives on the line and dedicated themselves to service to our country. I think it's a great gift for all American families to remind them of the sacrifices that the military service makes. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most awesome natural wonders on earth, the Grand Canyon has for generations challenged artists to capture it myriad moods and unveil its many faces. Here, in stunning color, are the best efforts of some of the nation's most creative contemporary photographers to do just that--in every light and every season. Here are slender spires and giant buttresses of rock, rising from the abyss to tell their story of the ages. Here is the tempestuous Colorado River, filling the canyon with its timeless song. And here are the hardy people, flora, and fauna that live and play in the depths and on the rims of this celebrated chasm. Augmenting the photos are the eloquent observations of some of the canyon's most ardent admirers. In these pages, you will come to know the canyon in all its grandeur--and you will never cease to be inspired by the experience. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Here are depicted the towering canyon walls
Through an informative text enhanced by a wealth of 130 beautiful, breathtaking, color photographs, Grand Canyon On My Mind reveals one of the most awesome natural wonders on earth -- the Grand Canyon, carved out over eons of time by the wild Colorado River. Here are depicted the towering canyon walls, the superb sunsets, the river, and the total grandeur of the canyon in all its aspects by some of the Grand Canyon's most ardent and articulate admirers. Grand Canyon On My Mind is a very highly recommended addition to any and all community library collections and would make an ideal "Memorial Fund" acquisition selection. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Beautiful and Charming
This is a Wonderful book! The pictures are very beautiful, vivid!
And the verses are lovely...I am just thrilled to have bought a copy. Our Public Library even ordered a copy after having looked through mine. Outstanding!! Truly.

A Photo Collection Of Great Interest
I lived in London for two years a decade ago and so had the opportunity to travel extensively through the stunning countryside of England and Scotland. I never made it to Ireland however and so purchased Irish Blessings in order to have a good look at what I missed. TOO MUCH!

This collection of photographs was taken from a number of different sources. It is a lovely, well-assembled collection indeed and many of the plates are of a very high quality. All are of interest.

The book is broken up into three distinct parts with the first concentrating on the land itself. The second part, "...Home And Hearth," includes numerous shots of both the interior of Irish dwellings and photographs of a diverse sampling of buildings, often in sumptuous settings. The final segment of Irish Blessings is devoted to means of travel about the country which includes photographs of boats by the sea, rivers, roads through the countryside, and the odd bicycle or two propped up against a wooden covered bridge or a village pub waiting to provide simple transport to their owners.

There are not many people represented in the collection but photographs of animals that are integral to Irish country life are ubiquitous . One photo of a dog lazily resting upon the back of a horse is devine. And a picture of a cow atop a wondrous stone wall abutting the sea offers a unique, special image.

The photographs in this portfolio are matched with Irish verse and song. That is a nice idea but I only wish that a bit of text which conveyed something about the locations depicted had been included as well. As it stands, there is no way to know where in Ireland each photograph was taken unless one was very familiar with the country beforehand. A small problem perhaps, in an offering of great beauty and spirit.

A Beautiful Coffee Table Book...
I guess I'm partial to Irish things, but I think this is a beautiful book. Pages are split between pictures...landscapes, buildings, homes, and text... Irish blessings (May the road rise to meet you...etc.) and Irish poets. Not a book to read staight through, but a great display book for you and guests to thumb through during idle moments. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Elevate your life style
Bernhard Roetzel's "Gentleman" is one of two definitive works on classic style for men. The other book is Flusser's "Dressing the Man." While Flusser's work is primarily concerned with developing a classic style for business dress, Roetzel's "Gentleman" is about creating a classic, elegant life style. Following Mr. Retzel's philosophy, style is not something we do for others. The pursuit of style is for one's own personal satisfaction. Therefore, Mr. Roetzel focuses on an understated, conservative elegance, with an acknowledgment of the importance of details, even if no one else notices. Roetzel's book focuses on mens fashion, with a bias toward tailored English clothing, but he goes beyond business clothing, to address casual, sport, and home style. In addition to the obligatory chapters on suits, shoes, and casual dress, there are sections on grooming and fragrance, hairstyles, wristwatches, and how to enjoy an elegant, relaxing breakfast at home. This book is a treatise on gracious living, and he introduces his readers to many of the small luxuries which no one should miss out on: the experience of a traditional shave from a good English barber; a pair of shell cordovan shoes; a bespoke suit; a comfortable and beautiful dressing robe. His philosophy is best exemplified by the section on eating breakfast, where he exhorts one to begin the day with a leisurely elegant ritual including "perfectly toasted bread." Personally, I barely ever eat breakfast, but the call to slow down and take the time to enjoy life's small pleasures resounds loudly none the less.
The book is not perfect, and Mr. Roetzel has some rather quaint and outdated ideas (such as the kind of clothes worn by students at Ivy League universities.) Overall, however, the book is an excellent roadmap for those who wish to live a cut above the norm in this too-fast, hyper-casual, overly-efficient, mass-produced, machine-made, often-shoddy world.

The Guide for Elevating your Style
Alan Flusser's "Dressing the Man" is about developing a classic business style of dress. Roetzel's "Gentleman" is about developing a classic life style. This book covers all aspects of one's appearance, and addresses grooming, hairstyles, formal dress, business dress, and sport. Although it has an English bias, it does a good job of incorporating classic American style and products such as Brooks Brothers shirts and Alden shoes.
More than just a book on how to dress, however, this book provides an introduction to some of the finer things in life that might otherwise go untried: The experience of a traditional shave at a good English barbor; the satisfaction of a bespoke suit, the beauty of a pair of shell cordovan shoes; Acqua di Parma; a James Smith umbrella. There is a section on "Breakfast with Style" which neatly encapsulates the author's philosophy that true style is not an act which you put on for others, it is an understated, elegant way of living which is undertaken for one's own satisfaction. It extends beyond clothing and appearance into all aspects of one's life.
The book is not perfect, and Mr. Roetzel has some rather quaint views on certain subjects. (For example, he has a somewhat antiquated and idealized view regarding how students at Ivy League schools dress.) It is not the best "how-to" book on selecting a classic business wardrobe (choose Dressing the Man for that purpose.) But as a book for those who wish to elevate their life style, Gentleman has no equal. For those who are looking for a roadmap to take them beyond the mass-production, slovenly, hyper-casual, impolite, and haphazard style which is becoming increasingly the norm, look no further than this book.

One of Two Definitive Books on Men¿s Style
As a web developer, I have recently had a run of men's custom tailoring customers. I found myself looking for an encyclopedic source of styling details and fashion fundamentals.

This book by Bernhard Roetzel's provided many of the answers. It is a trove of the tried and trusted classics of men's clothing. In one volume one can find advice on combining familiar patterns, materials, fabrics and colors. Unlike the other book I consulted - Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser - breaks down the details and elements of Italian, English and American styling.

To be sure, there are topics I could have done without - underwear, jewelry, umbrellas, walking canes, tobacco and pajamas, to name a few. However, if you are looking for detailed information about men's style, this is one of two books to consult.

A Must for a real Gentlemen !!!
This book will tell you where to find the best in suits, shirts and shoes and will save you years of experimentation which will eventually lead you to the same conclusions as the author. Even if you are not interested in paying $3500 for your next suit or $3000 for a pair of hand made shoes from John Lobb's of London this book is worth every cent you pay for it. It is well prepared and holds a wealth of interesting information.

Gentleman's Guide: To Grooming and Style
First, I bought a book by the title above and thought it was great. I tried to find a copy to buy a friend only to find no one sold it anymore. A few weeks later I found the book has been reprinted under this new name. So if anyone else is like me and looking for the guide to grooming and style, this is the same book only in hard cover.

Second, this book is worth having. ... Read more

Book Description

The companion to the Oscar(r)-nominated film, Winged Migration is the definitive visual account of its subject: the extraordinary flights of migrating birds around the world. Migration is an enigma. Who knows why the cuckoo, born in Europe, flies alone to the far forests of Africa, home of its ancestors? Or how the Arctic tern can fly over ten thousand miles on its astonishing journey from pole to pole? Winged Migration follows single birds and whole squadrons on their restless flights seeking answers to such riddles. The result is a tour de force that is testament to the patience of a globe-trotting team of filmmakers and ornithologists. With its informative text, Winged Migration offers both the general reader and the dedicated bird watcher a bird's-eye view of five continents and a grand, yet intimate, portrait of the secret life of birds. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Winged Migration by Perrin
This book is perfect for a school project. It contains full color
pictures of birds in the natural environment. There are pictures
of the Guacharos of the Andes, the Snowy Owl and many other
denominations on every continent including Antartica. The
presentations are larger than life depictions of nature.
Birds are shown in the migratory state; wherein, it is not
unusual to travel beyond 10,000 miles to a final destination.
The volume is well worth the price charged. This would make a great gift for the student in your house. The pictures are
on par with the National Geographic Magazine presentations
of birds in their natural habitat.

Winged Migration -- the book
My interest for this book was sparked by my having seen the video of the same name. The book, however, goes beyond the video in that it identifies specifically "the players" -gives descriptions of them, their migratory patterns, their habits and habitats, as well as explaining by example the filming of the movie. If you have not seen the video, it will open a whole new world of bird migration to you. The migrations will become, to the reader, so important, majestic, and exciting in and of themselves. The premise, very simply, is that birds migrate to survive. The book will take the reader beyond his own responsibilities of commuting to work every day; it will reaffirm for the naturalists the necessity of living each day within an already pre-established harmony ; it will move any reader to higher levels of tolerance and compassion as, with its reading, one feels with absolute and great starkness how we all fit together on this planet. The book is truly an uplifting masterpiece. And it is magnificently photographed and presented. As long as birds are migrating, this book will be timelessly and repeatedly appreciated for its, as well, as the birds', utter beauty. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Girls, girls, girls. And well-endowed boys. They're the subjects of Thomas Ruff Nudes, a book of photographs by a well-known German artist best known for his searching images of faces, night skies and architecture. The new photographs were pulled off Internet porn sites and enlarged, colored and blurred by the artist. The fascinating thing about these nudes is the way the indistinct tumble of imagery replicates the physical sensation of sex. Everything is hazy, incomplete, replete with longing--a giddy carnival of orifices and sex organs. Skin is suffused with the blush of sexual arousal. Women offer themselves to unseen men and to one another. Some might say that Ruff is "making a statement" about the easy availability of pornography. Nonsense. He is documenting, in his painterly way, the elemental human urges that attract us to each other’s flesh. The most interesting images in the book are the most abstract, revealing sexual appetite as the eternal pursuit of another body’s knobs and holes. Accompanying the photographs is an earthy, supposedly fictional, fragment by the controversial French novelist Michel Houellebecq. The narrator reminisces about the years when he and his wife visited sex clubs on the Riviera. He writes of "dark rooms where people make love without choosing partners, submerged in the flux of tactile sensation." This is the world of Ruff's most successful photographs, a place where the staginess of pornography is transformed into the realm of pure desire. --Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Bridging the gap between floral decoration and art/sculpture
In this exquisitely photographed volume of cutting edge (forgive the pun) floral decorator and Dutch flower shop owner Daniel Ost's innovative floral and leaf/branch/twig sculptures, this artist in greens, browns and multi-colored flora attempts to bring us into a totally new realm of plants and flowers as art and architecture. The narrative is written in three languages (depending on the edition, mine was in German, French and English). The photography demands that the reader extend his or her senses to try to understand how articles formerly animate could possibly be intertwined into seemingly brand new, even shockingly nouveau, inanimate statements of artistic freedom: some soaring sculptures of fine vines wrapped around deep purple stems and white.yellow lilies; other basketlike formations of plant material interwoven with flowers so small that one has to imagine the fine tiny winds gently rustling this very Japanese, Zen-like water lily (looks alive but isn't).

Daniel Ost is one of the European plant/flower artists, designers and photographers who have made such an impact on art-as-live material. You have to see these photos and carefully read the challanging narration to understand why you will never again be able to look at plants or flowers the same way you do now. Ultimately, Daniel Ost is telling us that although flowers and plants used for decoration must be cut from (separated from) life; the beauty and the architectural integrity of these materials in the hands of a contemporary master can work a miracle of design and function which results in forms that transcend everything we know about traditional floral arranging. ... Read more

Book Description

Revered as a father of modern photography, August Sander (1876– 1964) so refined the art of portraiture that his moving images of his fellow countrymenhave been heralded both as an important sociological document and a photographicmasterpiece. But those images make up only a portion of this deluxe seven-volume set,which will stand as the definitive collection of Sander's considerable achievement.

The books include some 150 never-before-seen images and essays by leadingexperts on the German photographer's work. Praising Sander's "vision . . . hisknowledge, and his immense photographic talent," the writer Alfred Döblin said: "Thosewho know how to look will learn from his clear and powerful photographs, and willdiscover more about themselves and more about others." ... Read more