Book Description

The Vietnam War was the most controversial conflict ever entered into by the United States.Military and press photographers, camera-wielding soldiers, and civilians all took the opportunity to record the harrowing events of the 1960s and early '70s. NAM: A Photographic History features the images and stories that document this tumultuous era, revealing sides of the war never seen before and shedding new light on this decades-old conflict.With its wealth of unforgettable images, this truly comprehensive book provides anunrivaled- and unflinching- overview of the Vietnam War.

* Features more than 700 full-color and black-and-white photographs from a variety of sources, many of which are seen here for the first time.

* Every major theater of conflict is covered extensively, from Laos to Hanoi, from the Tet Offensive and Lam Son 719 to the Battle of Long Tan and Operation Homecoming

* Informative, indexed commentary provides historical grounding and summarizes the complex events of the period ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent photographic work, some inaccuracies
This was an excellent read. Not something you're going to plow through in a couple of days. I'm near the end now, and have been "digesting" this book over the course of several weeks.

The photographs are excellent-some of the best work I've seen in compilation form. Haven't read Larry Burrows yet, but that's on the list. The distraction comes that when you've been inundated with one photographic history, they all become somewhat similar. Carnage on a grand scale, big machines, weapons, sad people and faces, etc. Some useful maps with photo displays.

I found that there were some inaccuracies, particlarly when I submitted this book to my professor of military history as a good read. He was in Vietnam, and immediately picked a couple of issues right off the bat, but overall thought it was a great book for the cost. Typos are a small issue, would have been worth the effort for an additional proofread for such a sturdy, big book, and sentence structure is sometimes off, making things confusing.

While this book does a good job of detailing a photograpic illustration in format by year (e.g. 1965, 66, 67, etc.) it reads a bit dry at times due to the nature of trying to cram a ton of strategic and tactical information in as simple blow by blow. For instance, unit x came from position y, and unit w, from position z, etc. It is, however, very effective in transcribing in detail the history and some of the complications surrounding the Vietnam War.

... well worth the space it takes up in my bookshelf. Don't try toting this thing around, it's massive and heavy. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This is the bible for photojouranlism students
There are many must-read about photojouanlism. Among these, this should be the first you buy. It leads you to the professional field. It tells you how you can get into the business and what you should know. I cannot find something compete.

A Must Read on Photojournalism
This book will give you the inside scoop on the concept, history and day-to-day life of a photojournalist. The book is extraordinarily well written and very insightful. Mr. Chapnick, the retired President of Black Star, explains the "concerned photographer", developing a portfolio, fulfillment as a photojournalist and creative and ethical issues in photojournalism. This book has no peer on the topic.

Great Information
This book was fascinating. Howard Chapnick's observations and comments on the world of photojournalism were wonderful to read. Reading it was like sitting down to a dinner conversation with a very smart man. His comments on the craft and business of photojournalism were enlightening. This book is well worth the money.

The Photojournalist's Bible
This is the only book any photographer should read. It tells you every kind of career there is in photojournalism and more. Descriptions on how to do everything from selling pictures to agencies to holding on to your self in a world that demands that you change along with it. ... Read more

Book Description

Cultural anthropologist and photographer Kyoichi Tsuzuki describes the pages of Roadside Japan as "a heaping helping of crass, dumb, and vile nonsense." This is the Japan you won't find in chic travel brochures. The image of the Naniwa Yasaka Shrine, for example, features 220 vending machines selling everything from luck in love to horoscopes by blood type. It's an exploration of the roadside attraction where even the Buddhists have theme parks. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The ultimate conversation piece
I bought this book in Toyko for 4800 yen, so I'm not sure exactly why Amazon is charging {} (!) for it. In any event, this long book of photos is the ultimate conversation piece: Tsuzuki writes a weekly column for a Japanese newspaper about odd things one can see driving around Japan and this book is a collection of his finds. It shows that small town Japan is just like small town US--full of odd folk monuments, primitive art, fiberglass dinosaurs, homespun museums, and other folksy treasures. If you know someone who is going to Japan, have them buy you a copy.

also true to life
I got this book after I read Tokyo Style, also by Kyoichi Tsuzuki. As with that book, this one has huge, glossy pics and if you can afford it, it's an entertaining book. I lived near/visited several of the places discussed in the book when I lived in Japan from 1993-1998. I got the feeling at some of the locations that they weren't much used to seeing foreigners. I got my copy in Japan, and it has both Japanese and English text; so maybe you can justify it to yourself as an expensive study aid, if nothing else!

One of the most exotic photo essay
This is book that contains many shocking photo that reflects many interesting aspects of the Japanese Culture. It is definitely one of the most interesting photo journey I have read. It is a collection of temples, museums, and site in Japan. From Hokkaido to Kyushu, it included over 150 extremely intriguing places. Great photograph, and great layout of the book. It sure suits its name "Roadside Japan". Some of the picture might be disturbing for some people, but that is just part of the Japanese Culture. ... Read more

Book Description

A story of American photographers who went out to chronicle the Depression era—and the vibrant religious culture they found

In the midst of the Great Depression, the American government initiated one of the most ambitious national photographic projects ever undertaken. Such photographers as Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Gordon Parks—all then virtually unknown—were commissioned to chronicle in pictures the economic struggle and social dislocation of the Depression era. They explored every facet of rural life in an effort to document the troubles, as well as the spirit, of the nation.

Fanning out across the country, these photographers captured a nation alive with religious faith—from Dust Bowl migrants singing hymns to orthodox Jews praying in rural Connecticut. In Picturing Faith, the preeminent historian of religion Colleen McDannell recounts the history of this extraordinary project, telling the stories of the men and women who participated in it and exploring these little-known images of America.

Lavishly illustrated, Picturing Faith teases out the various and conflicting ways that these photographers portrayed American religion and enhances our understanding of how religion was practiced during this critical period of American history.



Colleen McDannell is professor of history and Sterling M. McMurrin Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Utah.





... Read more

Book Description

On the morning of September 11th, a new kind of horror shook the world. Terrorists crashed two passenger airliners into the World Trade Center in the worst attack on U.S. soil in the nation's history.But at the same time a new generation of heroes rose up to fight it.This book chronicles not only the devastation of that day, but also the valor and heroism of thosewho saved thousands of lives.

Not one of these photographs has been published before.On top of that, these images offer a vantage point no ordinary photographers could obtain:They were taken by members of the New York City Police Department, uniformed and civilian, who were on the scene moments after the first plane hit and who were behind the scenes during the entire rescue and recovery effort.

Many officers took pictures during the course of their duties.Some were inside the lobbies of the World Trade Center before they collapsed. Some were in helicopters hovering near the burning towers.Some were trapped in the dust cloud after the buildings fell.They took pictures of the pandemonium around them, the fear, the effort, the exasperation.This collection portrays the courage of those who rushed into the danger so that others could escape it.

One of the featured photographers, Detective Dave Fitzpatrick, was off duty when he heard a report of the attack over his radio.He immediately went to an NYPD airfield,joined a crew boarding a police helicopter, and flew to the World Trade Center.They arrived right after the second plane hit and were instructed to observe the scene and watch for any other incoming aircraft.Over the course of three flights that day, Fitzpatrick shot thousands of photographs that became the only aerial views of the devastation and early rescue efforts downtown.He also covered all Ground Zero operations for the next two months.His best photos, along with those of numerous other members of the NYPD, have been collected in this book.

Together they make up the most in-depth visual document of the September 11th tragedy and its aftermath.

All royalties earned by the publication to the New York City Police Foundation, Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Very detailed photos
If you live or used to live somewhere in the New York area, you might have a grim desire for a book that shows exactly how the WTC attacks affected specific shops, buildings, blocks, etc. that you knew and loved, not just how terrible the effects were in general.

The NYPD book shows how the attacks affected the little sailboats in the marinas near the WTC, what the attacks did to the daycare center, what the "bad side" of the Winter Garden looked like, etc.

Highly recommended
In the immediate aftermath of the 911 attacks of 2001, a group of photographs, taken by members of the press, were run and rerun over the media. This book contains a collection of photographs that were not immediately available to the press, these were the pictures taken by the men and women of the New York Police Department. This book contains 192 pages of color pictures that show the horror, the hope and the determination seen at Ground Zero that day. If you are interested in what happened that day, and want to see photos that you have never seen before, then I highly recommend this book to you!

Incredible Pictures
This is a must-have book for people who are interested in pictures from 9/11/2001. The images are none like you have ever seen before. The NYPD took the pictures appearing in the book.

Great picture of a horrible day and it's aftermath.
We all remember that day in September, here are a lot of photographs showing what it was like. I found it to be a lot of aerial photos of the smoking towers, the ruins from ground level (and of the people working on the wreckage) but little or nothing of scenes from deep inside the pile. I've read that a lot of photos were taken during surveys, I wanted to see just a few of them.

"Oversaturation" you say? You've not seen these before.
Absolutely breathtaking and even though the events have been well-recorded and replayed ad nauseum, you will gain a new, harrowing, touching, moving perspective on the events at Ground Zero over the past year.
The book contains previously unpublished photographs taken by members of the New York City Police Department during the attacks on the twin towers and during the excavation of Ground Zero. Many photographs in the beginning of the book were taken from the air in NYPD helicopters assigned to circle over the city from the air in search of additional rogue airplanes, providing images from angles yet etched into memory. Imagine viewing the smoke and fire billowing from the towers against a clear, cerulean blue, cloudless sky.
Words do not do this book justice. The pictures are absolutely moving and of superior technical quality. Captions are succinct yet factual so even those not familiar with the city can get their bearings by well-known landmarks. I plan to add this book to my collection of journalistic records of life as a baby-boomer to be passed down throughout the generations as a transcript of the various historical events that have changed and continue to change the world in which we live. ... Read more

Book Description

In the heat of battle, in the devastated countryside, among troops and civilians equally hurt by the
savagery of war, Larry Burrows photographed the conflict in Vietnam from 1962, the earliest days of American involvement, until 1971, when he died in a helicopter shot down on the Vietnam–Laos border. His images, published in Life magazine, brought the war home, scorching the consciousness of the public and inspiring much of the anti-war sentiment that convulsed American society in the 1960s.

To see these photo essays today, gathered in one volume and augmented by unpublished images from the Burrows archive, is to experience (or to relive), with extraordinary immediacy, both the war itself and the effect and range of Larry Burrows’s gifts—his courage: to shoot “The Air War,” he strapped himself and his camera to the open doorway of a plane . . . his reporter’s instinct: accompanying the mission of the helicopter Yankee Papa 13, he captured the transformation of a young marine crew chief experiencing the death of fellow marines . . . and his compassion: in “Operation Prairie” and “A Degree of Disillusion” he published profoundly affecting images of exhausted, bloodied troops and maimed Vietnamese children, both wounded, physically and psychologically, by the ever-escalating war.

The photographs Larry Burrows took in Vietnam, magnificently reproduced in this volume, are brutal, poignant, and utterly truthful, a stunning example of photojournalism that recorded history and achieved the level of great art. Indeed, in retrospect, says David Halberstam in his moving introduction, “Larry Burrows was as much historian as photographer and artist. Because of his work, generations born long after he died will be able to witness and understand and feel the terrible events he recorded. This book is his last testament.”

With 150 illustrations, 100 in full color ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Real stories of war
This book is good. I liked it. I like war books and movies because action is cool! The guns were the old kinds, like M60 machine guns. It was very bloody and contained torture, which seemed very real to me in a gruesome kind of way.

I recommend this book to people who like war stories because it tells the truth about war.

The best of the best
The Vietnam war was defined as the first total media war, television was in the ascendancy but it was through newspapers and magazines that most people got there view of the suffering. The three greatest war photographers of all time (Robert Capa is the forth) brought the war to the breakfast tables of the world, Phillip Jones Griffiths, Donald McCullin and Larry Burrows produced pictures which showed the true horror and futility of the Vietnam conflict. McCullin through the pages of the Sunday Times Magazine, Jones Griffiths with his book "Vietnam Inc" and Burrows in the pages of "Life" magazine. Larry Burrows was given the massive task of showing the war in colour. Colour was regarded as being too pretty for the hard hitting task of showing war, also the actual technical limitations of the colour film of the time made Burrows task even more difficult. The sensitivity was very slow and getting the exposure absolutely spot on was imperitive. The steadyness and consideration needed to get the pictures are not condusive to the nerves in the midst of combat but Burrows had the metal to get the job done. This book brings together his work from 1963 till his death in 1971 in a way that shows not only his skill as a photographer but also as a journalist who could visualise the images and create the difinitive "picture story" The reproduction and layout are excellent and to see the images virtually as they would have appeared in Life are a credit to Larry's son Russell. This is a must for anyone interested in photography and photojournalism.

Great Collection of Photos
This book is an awesome collection of great photos. Larry Burrows did a fabulous job at capturing real life experiences in Vietnam. I commend him and David Halberstam for their professionalism and commitment to those soldiers who fought and died for our country. I only wish the descriptive captions were listed near the large photos in the book, not the back of the book. I'm sure the author had a reason for this. I strongly recommend this book.

Lessons for the Next War
I couldn't pass this book up. As this country prepares for the next war we should be mindful of the lessons of the one we lost. Larry Burrows appears to have gone everywhere in Vietnam carrying his Leicas and Nikons. His images are gritty, sad, shocking, poignant, and, yes beautiful. He is at his best when he captures the mind bending reactions in the faces of the men who fought the enemy and fought to stay alive. I don't think color has ever been used so well in combat photos. An artist and historian with a camera. This book is the legacy of a man whose compassion brought him too close to his subject. He died in a helicopter crash in an incursion into Laos in 1971. His images show his feeling for nuance, composition, storytelling and empathy. Only David Duncan's photographs of the Marines retreat in Korea compare with Burrows' combat sequences. And David Duncan was with his unit for a few days. Larry Burrows spend nine years, off and on, covering the Vietnam debacle and its impact on soldiers, civilians and country.

A Photographic Masterpiece
Larry Burrows was many things: an artist, a photojournalist, a man who was clearly the master of his medium. He was a gift to photography. This wonderful book shows his talent in a way that has never been assembled before. It is a powerful work - the best that there is. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Provocative and honest
This collection of photos and essays was one of the few to come out in 2002 that did not smack of "we're in it for the money" opportunism. Thoughtfully put together by the staff of the New York Times, A NATION CHALLENGED, is a poignant reminder of the events of 9/11/01, events that have been talked about so much that we have run out of words. Fortunately, the expression a picture is worth one thousand words holds true. Each photo speaks volumes from pity to horror, shock to acceptance, destruction to hope.

While the compilation is slanted to the devestation that occurred in lower Manhattan, I don't believe that it's disproportionate. What happened here, to us, the carnage and destruction, was on such a huge scale that it merits the extra coverage. Also, so many of the events were captured on film by cameramen, professional and amateur, that there is a vast resource of horrific images from which to choose. Given that, I actually believe that the Times showed remarkable restraint. By no means does this diminish the outrages and sorrows of Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. New York's collective heart breaks for them, too, and the images of those scenes are no less dumbfounding.

A NATION CHALLENGED is a professionally approached and executed photojournal. I only hope we'll never need this kind of book again.

One of the best books on the subject...
This stunning book presents the tragic events of that terrible day in complete detail. Since the book is published by the New York Times, it includes all of the information that they obtained by being a local source. Of all the books out about September 11, this is one of the best. If you want a vivid, pictorial history of the attacks, get a copy of this book.

Unven, but nonetheless remarkable book
There's no denying that the photography in this book is spectacular, and as one would expect from a NY Times book, the writing is superb. Unfortunately, "A Nation Challenged" doesn't completely live up to expectations. There are two main reasons for that. First, the coverage of 9/11 is overwhelmingly skewed towards the events at the World Trade Center. While there is no denying that New York City has come to represent the epicenter of that horrible day, there were equally horrific tragedies taking place on a smaller scale in Washington D.C. and over Pennsylvania. I would have expected that an institution as reputable as the New York Times would have taken a more balanced approach in their reporting. My second complaint is that the final forty pages, or so, are devoted exclusively to portraits of the Afghan people. In and of itself, that's fine, but given the book's title, I would have expected more American viewpoints, whether firemen, policemen, or members of the armed services. I fail to see what is gleaned about the American condition of the last year from interviews with Afghanis.

Those thoughts aside, though, this is an incredible collection of photographs and writing that is well worth owning. One thing about 9/11 is that it was a beautiful sunny day, and the photographs in this volume would be stunning if they weren't so horrific. Interspersed with reproductions of Times' front pages and writing from those pages, are astonishing photographs (many of which I had never seen before) that capture that day and the following weeks in all their horror. ***WARNING, some of the pictures are very graphic, if you aren't prepared for the emotional impact of revisiting 9/11, you would do well to pass on this book. However, if you are prepared to turn your thoughts to that day when everything changed, this is the book to start with.

"A Nation Challenged" represents an excellent record, both visually and in writing, of 9/11. While there are already many books about that day available, and there will undoubtedly be hundreds more, I suspect that very few will be of the same quality as this volume. The reason for this is the weird dichotomy of a paper with global resources having the biggest event of the last fifty years take place in its backyard. While I do have some complaints with the distribution of the coverage, there is no debating the superb quality of the reporting and photography, or the immense integrity of the Times editorial board. This is not an easy book to look at, but it is a remarkable history of a day when, "history splits, and we define the world as 'before' and 'after.'" ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The photographic art of Margaret Bourke-White
I am quite sure it was the film "Gandhi" that had me thinking Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971) was essentially a portrait photographer, but this impressive collection of her life's work amply proves otherwise. Bourke-White was originally an industrial photographer, who was hired by Henry Robinson Luce to do assignments for his new magazine "Fortune," for which she did extensive photographic essays on everything from meat packing plants in Chicago and glass blowers in upstate New York to workers in Indiana quarries and the steel industry in Germany's Ruhr valley.

On her first trip to Russia in 1930 she photographed not only the industrial expansion of the Soviet Union but the lifestyle of the people and it is from this point in her career that she made the clear shift to being a photo journalist. During the Great Depression she documented the plight of migrant farm workers and sharecroppers. When Luce launched "Life" in 1936 Bourke-White formed the magazine's original photographic staff (along with Alfred Eisenstaedt, Peter Stackpole, and Thomas McAvoy) and her photo of the construction of Fort Peck Dam in Montana was the cover and lead article in the first issue. During World War II Bourke-White covered everything from the German attack on Moscow to Patton's push into Germany to the horrors of Buchenwald.

Bourke-White's work represents the height of the era in which photography was a recognized art form, by which I mean a time when photographs were hung on walls in the same manner as paintings. Her work, like the best of that period by her contemporaries, has a poster-like design. It is fascinating to read how her use of multiple flashbulbs helped her create a more realistic effect. "Margaret Bourke-White, Photographer" lays out her career in clear stages, telling us not only about what she was doing but the hows and whys as well. Whether you consider yourself an aspiring photographic artist or are simply an interested neophyte such as myself, you will have a greater appreciation for both the artist and her art after devouring this book, which contains 160 pages of superb reproductions of her best and most famous monochrome images (some of which are from her personal archives).

Excellent
I did not buy this book because MBW was an inspirational female or other, but because her photos are simply superb. They capture a feeling, a time and space with a clarity that is both sparse and yet detailed. This is a book to savour and reflect on.

Her sense of design and form was and still is incredible!
This book illustrates why Margaret Bourke-White should be recognized as one of the 20th century's top photographers. Her ability to capture a moment during war and destruction or an enternity in marble and stone, is awe inspiring. She was not limited by her feminity. She moved easily into the world of machines and factories, capturing molten metal and shiny blades. Again and again, I return to the book and study all aspects of her photographs. The depth of field, the rhythm, the harmony and the life seen in all her photos takes my breath away. Within a few days of purchasing the book, I had the joy of visiting the National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa where there are two Margaret Bourke-White photos in their collection. The soft creamy paper used in these pictures counters the hard metal of the image itself. These are the third and fourth Margaret Bourke-White's I have had the pleasure to see in person. The other two was a copy of the original cover for LIFE magazine and a single rose bud. Both of these photos are owned by Margaret Bourke-White's sorority and are featured in their archival collection. The photographic reproductions in this book, although lacking the soft creams of the Art Gallery's copies, do capture the integrity of her photos. I will treasure this book.

Finally, a book of photographs by Margaret Bourke-White
For several years, I would stop in the photography section of whatever bookstore I was in to see if there were any monographs about Margaret Bourke-White's photography. Alas, there were none. Margaret Bourke-White was a remarkable photo-journalist who has given us many remarkable and lasting images of industry, war and society. She joined Life magazine at its founding and died at the time of the magazine's demise in 1972.

This book provides a comprehensive look at her work decade by decade with the best of her best work included with an introduction to each section by Sean Callahan. The appearance of this book is long overdue. A perfect companion to this volume is the biography by Vicki Goldberg.

As documentary images they are as good as any I have seen
This large format hard-backed book is a magnificent tribute to one of the world's most renowned women photographers. Published by Pavilion, this landmark retrospective (with a UK street price of 40 pounds) contains 160 pages of some of her most remarkable monochrome images, together with some rarely seen work from her personal archives.

Reproduction is quite literally superb, with the pictures jumping from the page; most images are placed one to a page while some spread the gutter. Those who aspire to create the very best black and white prints should study Bourke-White's work carefully. As fine art photographs they would hang well in any gallery. As documentary images they are as good as any I have seen.

From the 1920s to the 1950s Bourke-White fearlessly recorded objects, people and events that shaped history. First famed as an industrial photographer, she then became on the first staff photographers at Life magazine.

This book is the most complete collection of her work to date and includes photographs from her early days. Images of industrialised America, through to war-torn Korea and the Nazi bombing of Moscow, all show life as it really was, and photographed in such an accomplished way, that the reader can't help but be drawn into them as though it was yesterday.

Few photo books impress me as much as this one. A worthy addition to anyone's collection. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the second of three 9"x11" black and white 1950's Disney picture book. There are dates and captions for each photo, along with some text listing general information. This book marks the introduction of visitors to the park along with construction and aerial photos. You will find photos of Matterhorn, E.P Ripley, Walt Disney, Fess Parker, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Skull Rock, Rainbow Ridge, Casa de Fritos to list just a few of the shots. Both the first book ("A Photographers Life With Disney Under Construction") and the third book ("Disney Years seen Through a Photographers Lens") are also available. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I loved this picture book.
This book is primarily a picture book with short decriptions that gives a fascinating look at the world's most famous theme park before it was a park. It's filled with black and white photos of Walt Disney's Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. as it was being constructed along with a few after its opening. The photographer, Mel Kirkpatrick, was given unfettered access through the entire construction of the park and he captured some amazing and unique photos. You'll see Disneyland go from orange tress and mounds of dirt being moved around, right through various stages of construction for some of the famous landmarks such as Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Main Street USA. Some superb aerial shots are included. The captions for the pictures are short and informative with one or two errors, which unless you're a true Disneyland buff you won't notice. For anyone who has ever been to Disneyland and felt the "magic", this is great look into how that magic was constructed. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Beautiful Tapestry of Latino Life in the United States
As the largest growing ethnic group in the United States, Latinos/Hispanics have made inroads in many fields due to their strength, organization, and family values. Although differences among Latinos are as common as differences in other groups distinguished by a common language root (e.g., Slavs, Arabs, Romance languages speakers, etc.) the common struggle of all nationalities that are found in this classification is the same: success.

Edited by one of the greatest activists and advocates for Latinos all around the world, actor Edward James Olmos, "Americanos: Latino Life in the United States" is a collection of beautiful photographs and stories of Latinos throughout the United States. From Mexican-Americans in California to Puerto Ricans in New York City, Olmos and a team of other editors have produced a book that perfectly and respectfully captures the beauty and realities of Latinos all around. Available in hardbound and paperback editions, "Americanos: Latino Life in the United States" is a must have for Latino/Hispanic Studies students/enthuasists or for anyone who tuly appreciates cultural photography. The book, which was accompanied by a U.S. museum tour of photographs featured in the book, is truly a milestone for a community that has risen from a long sleep and awakened to become the most dynamic and promising group in the Americas.

If I can use two words to describe this book, I would use "moving" and "beautiful." It's a must have book in your library, especially if you're Latino.

Manuel Monterrey
Esto es un libro hecho muy bien con el editation gráfico muy bueno hecho por Manuel Monterrey. Recomend I él.

This is a very well done book with very good graphical editation done by Manuel Monterrey. I recomend it.

Very Important Book
Edward James Olmos has done alot of WOnderful things in his career. and this Project is one of them.it's very Important to Show the World The Beauty of the Latino World.every culture deserves the right to be seen and heard at full Zenith.everybody wants a better Future and to Be Respected.This Book is very much like the book i have of African-AMericans in America the Many different shades of us and the many visions.it's important to Know the World around You.

A Glory beyond Words
After being honored with the presence of Mr. Olmos at the Penn State University this past November, I have only grown to respect what our culture has done and continues to do. This book exemplifies what we were, what we are, and what we are to become. I have only pride in my heart and a joy in my sould for what we have been capable of doing in this the United States of America. I hope that everyone has a chance to look at this book and, like I did, see themselves in these pages.

A not to be missed work!
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Olmos talk in person about the making of "Americanos" and now have the pleasure of enjoying the book again and again. The photos are hauntingly charming, poignant and vital and I can guarantee they will stay in your heart and mind long after you put the book down.

What "Americanos" has to say about Latinos is so vitally important. Olmos, in his preface, says "...Too often, only one culture of Latino culture is apparent. That is the culture that we see from our car windows, on newscasts, in restaurants and from stadium seats..." "Americanos", however gives us an insider's view, a look into the very heart and soul of our Latino brothers and sisters and reveals a people, in Olmos's words, "...who are diverse in culture, color, ideas and dreams..." ... Read more

Book Description

One hundred years ago, Edward Sheriff Curtis began a thirty-year odyssey to photograph and document the lives and traditions of the Native peoples of North America. This monumental project was hailed by The New York Herald as "the most gigantic undertaking since the making of the King James edition of the Bible."

In this landmark volume, almost 200 of the finest examples of Cu rt is's photographs are reproduced with startling fidelity to his original prints. Produced to the very highest standards, Sacred Legacy presents Curtis's work without compromise for the first time in the modern era. Taken together, these profound images constitute no less than the core and essence of his life's work. Until now, virtually none of Curtis's photographs have been reproduced in a manner that captures the clarity and richness of his original master prints. In Sacred Legacy, his greatest images are reproduced from the finest source materials available -- a significant number from breathtaking platinum, gold, and silver prints. All have been carefully selected for pub lication and for an accompanying international exhibition by Curtis authority Christopher Cardozo.

In an effort to bring a new understanding to Curtis's monumental work, Sacred Legacy was developed according to the organizing principles set forth by the great photographer himself. Following the path la id out in his 20 volume magnum opus, The North American Indian, geographic regions are presented separately and individual tribes within each region are depicted and described. Interspersed between these sections are compelling portrayals of those aspects of life common to all tribes, among them spirituality. ceremony, arts, and the activities of daily life.

With The North American Indian, Curtis achieved the impossible: an extraordinary 20 -volume set of handmade books composed of nearly 4,000 pages of text and 2,200 images presenting more than 80 of North America's Native nations. Luminous, iconic, and profoundly revealing, the pictures that form the heart of the original project are reproduced here in Sacred Legacy. These extraordinary photographs had an immense impact on the national imagination and continue to shape the way we see Native life and culture.

Sacred Legacy is a fitting testament to the profound beauty, meaning, and complexity of Indian life and to Edward S. Curtis -- a man whose wisdom, passion, and strength drove him to devote thirty years to capturing the nobility and pride of the Native peoples of North America. The photographs in this brilliant volume represent the most important presentation of Curtis's work since the publication of the first volume of Me North American Indian nearly a century ago. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This book is a treasure
The works of Edward S. Curtis are monumental and beautiful. This book reproduces them with stunning clarity capturing the luminescence of his orotones remarkably well. The text serves to convey the rich meaning behind the photographs. For anyone interested in photography, art, or the story of the Native Americans, this is a treasure not to be missed. ... Read more

Book Description

During a long and distinguished career in photojournalism, Tom Stoddart has documented many of the world's most incredible events, including the scourge of famine and AIDS in Africa, the strife of civil war in the Balkans, and the monumental destruction of a superpower in Iraq. His powerful, humanistic, black-and-white photographs have won him many awards and the international respect of his peers. iWITNESS is as much a celebration of Stoddart's exceptional career as a photojournalist as it is a merciless diatribe on the day-to-day business of how the world conducts itself. This is an intensely personal view by an observer who refuses to believe that human beings can only exist in conflict with one another and the environment they inhabit. An exhibition of this work will be mounted in London in the summer of 2004 and will then travel worldwide. Essay by Jean-Francois Leroy. Hardcover, 10.5 x 9.5 in. /356 pgs / 222 tri-tone black and white images. ... Read more

Book Description

The first retrospective devoted to the legacy of American news wire picture services, Picture Machine examines the rise of these organizations and the historical and cultural significance of the images they created. Using photographs culled from the United Press International archive-the largest consolidated archive of historical wire photography, now part of the Bettmann Archive at Corbis-the authors show how these images both captured and molded American identity, beginning early in the 20th century.

The insatiable demand for photographic images led the news wire agencies to create a complete record of American life, and this book provides a fascinating look at the symbiotic nature of the photojournalistic process. Among the 300 photographs included in these pages are pictures of major events such as the crash of the Hindenburg, the Scopes trial, and Charles Lindbergh after his trans-Atlantic flight. But Picture Machine is not simply a chronology of world events or a collection of iconographic images. Even more interesting to the contemporary reader are the photographs created on "off" or slow-news days, including pictures that have not been seen since their original publication. AUTHOR BIO: William Hannigan is vice president of the portraiture division of Corbis, which houses the Bettmann Archive, one of the most extensive collections of historical content in the world. He is also editor and author of New York Noir: Crime Photos from the Daily News Archive. Ken Johnston, now managing editor of historical collections for Corbis, began his career with historical images in 1985 as an employee of the Bettmann Archive. Both authors live in Brooklyn. ... Read more

Book Description

THE KOREAN WAR: TEH STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS is the latest book in Brassey's "America Goes to War" series.Published on the fiftiethanniversary of the Korean War, this compelling photographic history examines the war in its entirety, from causes and protagonists to strategies weapons, and battles.Donald Goldstein and Harry J. Maihaferhave collected more than 450 vivid photogrpahs, many never before seen by the general public.The book focuses primarily on the experience of the American fighting man, from the fierce defense of the Pusan Perimeter to macArthur's surprise amphibious landing at Inchon, from the frozen hell of the Chosin Reservoir to the crucial battle of Chipyong-ni, and from daring air raids over Pyongyang to the deadly stalemate along the 38th parallel.The authors' narration provides expert insight, while the powerful photos give the reader a sense of immediacy and a unique perspective on "the forgotten war." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A pictoral history of the Korean War
A divergence from some of the other books by Donald Goldstein, this book is a wonderful collection of photographs and stories of the Korean War. Maihafer and Goldstein do their best to retell the "forgotten war" using some of the best photographs of the war that I have ever seen. This book is a pictoral history and as such is not a comprehensive study of the war. Nevertheless it accomplishes its objectives well and is a must have for Korean War buffs. ... Read more

Book Description

VIETNAM is the fruit of an unusual collaboration between noted author Frances FitzGerald (Fire in the Lake, 1972) and photojournalist Mary Cross. FitzGerald and Cross, both intimately acquainted with Vietnam, traveled there together in order to create this vivid and insightful look at Vietnam today. This is a Vietnam healed from the war, a Vietnam in which, as FitzGerald eloquently describes, traditional culture is once again alive in the villages that form its heart. The portfolio of 100 color images by Mary Cross documents the richness of the Vietnamese landscape andcustoms. FitzGerald and Cross explore both the accessible and the hidden facets of this complex country-from village festivals to imperial tombs, from the cities of Hanoi and Saigon to the eternal landscape of the rice paddies. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An Educating Glimpse of Vietnam
Vietnam: Spirits of the Earth by Frances Fitzgerald, Mary Cross (Photographer) is definitely another one to add to your South-east-Asia booklist. The book is divided into essentially two sections: the first includes the commentary; the second - the photography. The commentary discusses several "down-to-earth" issues and aspects of Vietnamese life and culture and manages to cut through their (only seemingly) simple fabric; the mix of subjects chosen is surprisingly (and refreshingly) esoteric (and authentic). The photography is good, although a bit on the grainy side. All in all - a recommended book for the South-east-Asian culture enthusiast!

Vietnam: Spirits of the Earth
Vietnam: Spirits of the Earth, photographs by Mary Cross and text by Frances FitzGerald, a book of surpassingly beautiful images by the distinguished American photographer and a thoughtful, radiantly intelligent text by the National Book Award-winning author and historian, bringing us the news, not entirely expected in some quarters, that since the devastation of the Vietnam War years, Vietnam has shifted to a market economy that has allowed for a "fascinating resurgence of traditional culture"; another work of surpassing beauty and ambition.

Joyce Carol Oates

Vietnam: Spirits of the Earth
Ever since serving in the Army from 1967-71 I have been curious about what Vietnam is really like. I was never sent over while in the army so all I know was what I read and heard. This book is informatively writen and beautifully photographed. This book is not about the war, it is about the country today. Extraordinary in every sense! ... Read more

Book Description

Only 22 when he lost his life on assignment in Somalia, photojournalist Dan Eldon left behind much more than the journals that became the basis for Chronicle's best-seller The Journey Is the Destination. He left a lifetime of adventures that continue to inspire. Raised in Kenya, he took numerous expeditions across Africa that helped him to understand and love the continent.Through his safaris and benevolent crusades--and with interludes of study and work in the US and London, and trips around the world--he crafted a philosophy of curiosity, creativity, adventure, and charity. Intensely visual, like the life it describes, Dan Eldon: The Art of Life is more than a biography. It is an exploration of one man's will to take in everything life has to offer; an example of a life lived for art, and art experienced as life ... Read more

Reviews (10)

good
It's a shame Kathy(his mother) never wrote this book.
By far the most imtimate and well written part of this book was the last chapter that Kathy Eldon wrote.
Obviously Jennifer New loves Dan's life like we all do but unfortuneatly she never met him and that glaringly stands out in the biography. There is way too much creative license here,the fact he is raised to almost sainthood can be squeemish at times.Jennifer's writing leaves a lot to be desired, but through the clumsy writing you can't helped but be inspired by the life of Dan Eldon.
Dan is amazing!! His photos say more about him than any bunch of words can. 'The Journey is the destination" is a must have book!!
Flip through that and I guarentee your life will be changed forever!

Dan Eldon is a Lantern
In order to get the most out of this book, check out Dan Eldon's book of collage, "The Journey is the Destination," first. Look through it over and over again. Each time, you'll find something new. The book has a life of its own and illuminates the importance of existence. Each of our lives represents a cross section of eternity. This book proves that by underscoring the immense value of human potential.

Not only did Dan Eldon live, but he recorded the gestures and issues of his blazing life. His perseverance is inspiring and reinforces the importance of taking action. Jennifer New's book, "The Art of Life," tells the story behind the images in "The Journey is the Destination." Discovering these stories after years of attempting to decipher Dan's journals was spectacular...

Absolutely amazing
I purchased both The Journey is the Destination and The Art of Life on the same day. Over the next two days, I rotated the books as I couldn't decide on which one to read first. Jennifer obviously dove deeply into Dan's life. The stories that are told from memories collected from Dan's closest friends and his family are engaging. There is no doubt that Dan left a mark on everyone he met. Even more incredible is that he continues to leave his mark on the lives of those who meet him through these books. His death may have been premature but he certainly didn't waste the short amount of time that he was given. He certainly deserves to be known as one of the twentieth centuries heroes.

My goodness
The books is amazing. I was doing an internet search and happened to come across Dan Eldon's web site. After which I saw his journals and then purchased this book. Gosh, I left so inspired. I recommend this to any person that is ever in doubt on where they should be heading in life. Great transition book.

For those who thought passion was a thing of the past...
Sometimes in life, we come across somebody who resembles in us everything we love, or envy, or just understand. Well, while reading "The Art of Life", a story about the travels of the young and corageous Dan Eldon, I stumbled upon all of these emotions and more. The book, a collaboration of work about Dan's travels, views, and passions, written by jennifer New and Kathy Eldon, is sure to spark a fire in each who reads it. This book is filled with more energy and spirit then I think I have ever possesed in all my years of being. Filled with colorful photographs and intelligent words, this story has been like a symphony to my weary eyes. After reading "The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon" (the first book published about Dan's miraculous travels and premature demise), I thought to myslef, "nothing could possibly be more beautiful or enchanting than this." I was proven wrong as soon as my hands glided over the pages of "The Art of Life". It has been wonderful to read while sitting outside in a park on a warm afternoon, as well as inside on a rainy day when you feel all hope is lost. It has been a glorious gift, reminding me that all which stands around us is something to celebrate. My only hope is that others, even if it is one small being, find this book....it will open up a genuine desire for life in you, that is sure to last for as long as you stand beneath the blue sky which hangs above. ... Read more

Book Description

Sitting in his study, William Carlos Williams once revealed to Robert Coles what he considered to be his greatest problem in writing a documentary about his patients in New Jersey. "When I'm there, sitting with those folks, listening and talking," he said to Coles, "I'm part of that life, and I'm near it in my head, too.... Back here, sitting near this typewriter--its different.I'm a writer. I'm a doctor living in Rutherford who is describing 'a world elsewhere.'" Williams captured the great difficulty in documentary writing--the gulf that separates the reality of the subject from the point of view of the observer .

Now, in this thought-provoking volume, the renowned child psychiatrist Robert Coles, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Children in Crisis series, offers a penetrating look into the nature of documentary work. Utilizing the documentaries of writers, photographers, and others, Coles shows how their prose and pictures are influenced by the observers frame of reference: their social and educational background, personal morals, and political beliefs. He discusses literary documentaries: James Agee's searching portrait of Depression-era tenant farmers, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, and George Orwell's passionate description of England's coal-miners, The Road to Wigan Pier.Like many documentarians, Coles argues, Agee and Orwell did not try to be objective, but instead showered unadulterated praise on the "noble" poor and vituperative contempt on the more privileged classes (including themselves) for "exploiting" these workers.Documentary photographs could be equally revealing about the observer. Coles analyzes how famous photographers such as Walker Evans and Dorthea Lange edited and cropped their pictures to produce a desired effect.Even the shield of the camera could not hide the presence of the photographer. Coles also illuminates his points through his personal portraits of William Carlos Williams; Robert Moses, one of the leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee during the 1960s; Erik H. Erikson, biographer of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther; and others.Documentary work, Coles concludes, is more a narrative constructed by the observer than a true slice of reality.

With the growth in popularity of films such as Ken Burns's The Civil War and the controversial basketball documentary Hoop Dreams, the question of what is "real" in documentary work is more pressing than ever.Through revealing discussions with documentarians and insightful analysis of their work, complemented by dramatic black-and-white photographs from Lange and Evans, Doing Documentary Work will provoke the reader into reconsidering how fine the line is between truth and fiction.It is an invaluable resource for students of the documentary and anyone interested in this important genre. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Documentary work related to literary fiction
This is an important book for "so called" documentary writers, photographers, and film makers. I say "so called" because we tend to think of documentary work as an accurate representation--literally the truth. Robert Coles pretty much shoots that idea down, showing how the background, beliefs, biases, hopes, and fears of the documentarian color the narrative. I came away believing that the word objective is not relevant here, and that it may be impossible to ever get at the truth. If I read Coles right, the documentarian may, in fact, be more akin to the literary fiction writer/photographer/film-maker, who does seem to get at the truth. This is not to say that documentary work is futile. On the contrary it can be potent, meaningful, and worthwhile. We may just have to look at it differently and face up to the fact that it reflects the person doing the documentary work as much as it does his/her subject. This is a liberating idea. And we owe a debt to Coles for proffering it. There are consequences, too. For instance, in the light of Coles' discovery, a lot of critics may owe an apology to Richard Avedon, whose photographic fiction, "In The American West," may be fine documentary work after all. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The photographs calm your spirit like a meditation.
This is a book to return to over and over again. I've opened it in the midst of a hectic, demanding day and the clean black and white images made me feel refreshed and hopeful. The photographs embody a kind of peace I think we all yearn for.

An eye-opening adventure of a grossly-misunderstood people!
My name is Simone. I live in Oklahoma. My family and I have evangelized and sang all over the U.S. and Canada. We met a colony of Hutterian Brethren through a church pastor whom lives in PincherCreek, Alberta, Canada, whom invited us to preached at his church. We became really good friends with the Hutterites. I have been communicating by phone and letter over 11 years with them. I found out from my Hutterite friend Janet Walter from Lamona, Wash. that this book was coming out. I have actual pictures from this book that I've had for years from past letters. The Hutterite people usually don't associate with outsiders, but, by extraordinary happenstance, if invited into their way of life, they will be your friends-for-life; always possessing a place in their hearts. The Hutterites live in colonies and are a hard-working, God-fearing, and family-focused people. I love the Hutterites . . . so will you! ... Read more

Book Description

This book is dedicated to all those who shared in the Vietnam War experience, especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in that conflict.It's our hope that this volume will open gates that have been too long closed, and offer a bridge to better understanding and goodwill between Americans and Vietnamese.

For right or wrong, some three million Americans went off to serve in Vietnam; 58,000 of them were killed and another 153,000 were injured or crippled by bullets, shrapnel, or disease.But there were no parades for those who came home.Instead, they were rejected, pushed under the rug along with the unpopular and divisive war they served in.Vietname veterans became bitter, angry, truly the lost Americans.

This book is about letting go of the past, see Vietnam as it really is today - as a country, not a conflict. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Work.
The author provides us with beautiful photographs of Vietnam, a thousand year old country. Pictures of mountains, seas, paddy fields, towns and villages alternated with those of children afflicted with war induced deformities and a veteran amputee receving treatment. What makes the book interesting is the juxtaposition of black photographs of the war and colored images of the present.

For the past is interwined with the present. The horrors of the war have left indelible marks on the people and country alike as Raymer has shown us in his book.

Vietnam is not just another name for war
The authors do an excellent job of transposing the "American Image" of Vietnam into the beautiful and complex country that it really is. It draws from that "American Image" rooted in the drama of the war years, and gradually leads us to a clearer understanding of just what the country is today (and what it was before the intensity of the U.S. involvement)and where it may go in the future. It is encouraging, and very hopeful, to see the country and its people re-anchored in their traditional values--in spite of the current relic of communism--and to appreciate the renewed emphasis on education, family, business, and integration into the world economy. Clearly, it has been a long hard row to hoe, but it is moving in the right direction. Jack Smith's introduction lays this out, and it is reenforced by the text and Mr. Raymer's revealing photographs. The result is a far better sense of place and people.

A five-star effort by all three guys!
Jack Smith's introduction says it all -- Vietnam is a beautiful, peaceful land that is going places. Doing this book brought back a lot of memories and was a tonic for the soul. Enjoy it! ... Read more

Book Description

This is photographer and journalist Larry Towell's documentary account of the Palestinians. It reveals the landscape of a scarred and battered "no man's land"-neither fully Palestinian nor Israeli-and the daily life of the people who live there. Photographed over 10 years and completed with the support of the prestigious Henri Cartier-Bresson Award (with Towell its first recipient, in 2003), this is Towell's most important body of work to date and a landmark of photographic art and journalism. Towell describes the physical and psychological walls that divide Palestinians from Israelis and a land divided against itself in black and white photographs-many of them epic panoramas-that are simultaneously sad, haunting, breathtaking and beautiful.

Larry Towell lives in rural Ontario, Canada, where he was born in 1953. He studied visual arts at York University in Toronto before beginning to use photography while working as a volunteer in Calcutta in 1976. Concentrating on long, intimate photo essays that combine historical and social concerns with sublime visual poetry, his series on El Salvador, the Mennonites and his own family are widely regarded as the best of contemporary photojournalism. His work on the Palestinians is his fourth major body of work. Towell has exhibited widely throughout the world, and his honors are a roll call of the world's leading photography awards, including World Press Photo of the Year, the POY Picture of the Year, the W. Eugene Smith Award, the Oskar Barnak, the Roloff Beny and the Eisie Award. His photographs have been published in books and magazines throughout the world, and he is a member of Magnum Photos.