Art History Books

Great book! I grew up with it, and rediscovered it just now. Wonderful!!

This is my favorite book. I purchased it when I was 18, and loved black and white photography. I am now 65, and still see the same basic beauty in the photographs. It's not about the 1950's, or showing American culture. It shows how universal and similiar all people of all races and cultures are. It shows young children playing, people falling in love, weddings, births, hard work, wars, death, grieving, and even hope from various people and countries from our planet Earth. One family. One people. This is a collection of love, not about a specific time, or place, or our differences. This is a book that shows our skin colors, clothes, and countries may change; but we are all the same.

I am so glad Family of Man is still available. I would also suggest that in conjunction with this book, you offer Family of Women, and Family of Children.

I first found this book at Foyle's in London, about 35 years ago, and it struck me. Since then, I bought five copies of the Family of Man, but no one remained in my home, because ever I felt the need to give this book to someone I loved or trusted.
What is making this book so precious to me?
First the idea itself of collecting pictures from the whole world (remember, when Steichen launched his project, the Cold War and the related hysteria was at its peak). This to demonstrate that all the human beings have to pass through the same events in their life: birth, growth, education, emotions, work, love, children, reflection, death. This apparently trivial concept leads to a conclusion by far less trivial: we all do belong to one family, our species, the humans (by the way, this thinking had not so great success in the past, nor the present seems to be more benevolent).
The Family of Man is exactly the visual demonstration of such a concept, by comparing the same events as viewed from different geographic and cultural perspectives, by means of photos from renowned or unknown photographers (of course, the pictures from the US are prevailing in numbers for logistics and statistical reasons: it was by far more simple for an US photographer to even simply receive the news of the Steichen project than for a photographer in Rwanda or in the USSR).
Steichen and his assistants made an impressive selection, shortlisting 503 pictures from the over 2 million they received. By the way, Steichen was a photographer, and his selection also considered the aesthetic side of the question: most of the pictures selected simply are wonderful.
The result is this book. I think no one on this planet can miss it, because The Family of Man is representative of a large part of our culture and on our very nature.
To give an example, in my opinion this book is at the same emotional and rational level as Homer's Odyssey, Dante's Divine Comedy, Melville's Moby Dick, primo Levi's If this is a Man, or the ancient Greek lyrics, to quote some comparisons.
I hope it will continue to be published; we, the humans, desperately need it.

I've always thought of THE FAMILY OF MAN as a magic book, ever since discovering it on the family bookshelves when I was a young child. The thing was (above and beyond the book's excellence and power to move anyone with a heart), for many years it seemed that every time I would delve into this book, there would be at least one new picture, one I could swear I'd never seen before. I still sometimes have that experience (although nowadays I tend to attribute it to an aging mind). I do remember at first being most impressed and guiltily fascinated by the powerful pictures of birth, which my siblings, our friends and I would look at, giggling in horrified wonder, and by those "nasty" (actually, beautiful) pictures of breastfeeding. I still remember our mom explaining that there was nothing "nasty" about any of those pictures, that they were true and lovely. That was only one of many life lessons she taught us, using images from this book.

Each image is a whole story, a world, unto itself, and the beauty is the connection of each one to all the others, just as we are all connected to each other in the family of man (as well as to all that the world comprises, like it or not). As others have written, I have given numerous copies of this book as gifts over the years. (That was not so successful when I gave it to my brother and sister-in-law as part of their wedding present. My brother had grown up with it, but his bride had never seen it before, and was somewhat horrified and disgusted by it; unfathomable to me. I don't think it lasted long in their home, if it ever made it there at all.)

Sometime in the mid-'90s I bought a new copy in a bookstore, and was upset and very disappointed to discover how it had been changed and messed up in that edition (which was, I believe, put out under the aegis of Disney's Buena Vista Entertainment). The look and feel of the paper were wrong, to begin with: too bright white and thick. Pictures had been cropped differently and (I think I'm remembering correctly on this), in some cases, laid out somewhat differently. I recommend avoiding such copies (I don't know what is being published now in that regard, or if the book is out of print, or if they've gone back to the original look and feel); the differences, though subtle, really are jarring and very much diminish the quality. This 'brightened' version came in the wake of a spate of "Family of..." books (Women, Children, and I think maybe a couple of others), that always seemed opportunistic, a little crass, and pitiful in their inability to approach the fundamental, universal, inevitable feeling of the original. Not that these others were without merit, but almost always, an original will far overshadow any sequels or copies that come after it. That's certainly the case here.

Out of print book came quickly and condition was very good, service was quick. I will be back.

I loved this book! The entire time I listed to this book on cassette I felt I was hearing privileged information...yet Jess Oppenheimer shared his intellectual jewels freely as if they were common everyday thoughts. Well, for him, they were. What a genius. And what a witty, creative, generous, and responsible man! If he were alive I'd write him a fan letter.

This is an excellent informative book about the "I Love Lucy" show and a must have for any Lucy fan! The cd that is included is worth the price of the whole set alone. In the cd it includes hours of hilarious episodes from I Love Lucy and My Favorite Husband starring Lucille Ball, you will also receive lost scenes from the shows on the cd. I am not much of a reader but this book you just can't put down because it is so good and of course I love Lucy! The book doesn't look thick on the picture shown on Amazon but it is a nice thick paperback book and includes lots of wonderful pictures of the cast of I Love Lucy and fun information that you may have not of known about I love Lucy and how it became to be produced.

I THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMTIVE! IT WAS HILARIOUS AND I JUST COULDNT PUT IT DOWN. IT ONLY TOOK ME THREE DAYS TO READ IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING HOW IT TOLD ABOUT THE LIFE OF JESS OPPENHEIMER AS WELL AS THE LIFE OF LUCILLE BALL AND OTHER CAST MEMBERS FROM THE SHOW I LOVE LUCY. I REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK AND I THINK EVERY I LOVE LUCY FAN SHOULD READ IT!!!

I'd like to start with a clarification: this book is not a biography of Lucy, it is the creator's (Jess Oppenheimer) memoir. As such, there are many parts of the book that have nothing to do with Lucy, including episodes from Oppenheimer's childhood and young adult life.

However, this is still a GREAT book! It is well-written and full of entertaining annecdotes. "Laughs, Luck, and Lucy" follows Oppenheimer's slow rise to the top in the Hollywood radio industry. He describes Lucille Ball's program, "My Favorite Husband," which became the basis for "I Love Lucy." The book also includes some behind the scenes information about the making of "I Love Lucy."

The included audio cd is fun because it has clips from both "I Love Lucy" and "My Favorite Husband."

If you are only interested in information specifically about Lucille Ball, this might not be the book for you (try her autobiography, "Love, Lucy"). However, if you (like me) are fascinated with everything surrounding "I Love Lucy" and the Hollywood entertainment industry of the 1940s and 1950s, this is a great read!

Through Michael McClay, we can have a wonder picture of one of the best shows on TV. Through MANY pictures (a lot in color) and words, we can learn how these four greatly made this show: I Love Lucy. The book takes you through all of their lives before, during and after the show. Three parts are in this facinating book; one is about the show. And the other two are thirty-five of the classic episodes (some of which were chosen by Lucille Ball herself!!); and the last section is ALL 179 episodes in order that they went on air.

The book is definitly five stars and you cannot read this book once. It is great to just look at and you can learn so much about Luciile Ball, Desi Arnaz and Vivian Vance and William Frawley. So get yourself this I Love Lucy treasure TODAY!!!!

Who doesn't LOVE Lucy? This book is THE definitive guide for all us die-hard, lifelong, Lucy fans. It is chock full of facts, anecdotes, black and white and colour photos, etc. By far, the most comprehensive book on the series I have ever read. Introduced by daughter, Lucie Arnaz, we are taken down memory lane and even allowed BACKSTAGE where we get glimpses of the REAL life Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Strictly for the fans, who will understand and appreciate the attention to detail here.

Very Good Book... Great Collectors Item.

AMAZING!! This is one of the best books written about "I Love Lucy." Michael McClay certainly knew what he was doing when he gave us this great book on the best show in picture history. Through many pictures (many in color) and words, McClay is able to tell you ALL about "I Love Lucy" and the great people that made it so great. He tells not only about the people at the time of the show, but gives, not much but accurate, information about the four wonderful people that made the show so successful before and after the shows were made. He gives you thirty-five classic episodes that are the hits in the "I Love Lucy" shows. And also a TV-ography of the 179 "I Love Lucy" shows in the order that they went on the air. And the "I Love Lucy" Theme Song music given at the beginning of the three parts that are in this book has been played many times on my piano.

This is truely the best book there is on the show "I Love Lucy" (but no "I Love Lucy" book can beat Lucille Ball's book "Love, Lucy;" it covers her whole life as well as the "I Love Lucy" shows.Get that one too because both are both greatly recommended). Some books don't give very much or very accurate information on this show. But this one gives you all of the information, accurately, about the show.

I greatly encoutrage you top get this book especially if you are a Lucy fan (and if you are not, reading this book will give you a great start). You will NOT be disappionted. You will have too much trouble putting it down that when you finish it, you will want to read it again--you will never get tired of it. Get yours TODAY and you WILL enjoy!

This beautiful book introduced me to the world of "I Love Lucy" literature, and I must say I got off on the right foot! The photographs are beautiful, and the text is surprisingly thorough for a "picture history". This would make an enjoyable addition to anyone's Lucy collection (it's also a great place to start!).

Second Slice, The Art of Olivia is two books in one...sort of...about ¾ of the book is displays Olivia's paintings in portrait format. Flip it over, and the rest of the book is in landscape format...a flip book for adults! Olivia's second slice is every bit as filling and delectable as the first offering featuring 124 pages with 140 paintings in full color. Each of the two sections provides a detailed index with the name of the piece, size of the original painting, materials used, the name of the model, as well as Olivia's own commentary on her works. These comments are often as entertaining to read, as the paintings are to view.

The models used in this edition include Pamela Anderson, Rhonda Shear, Bettie Page, Julie Strain, and Sandra Taylor. The paintings of the saucy Julie Strain are some of my favorites in the book. With her long, kinky black hair, ample curves, and playfully wicked smile, Strain made a wonderful pin-up queen for the 1990's, when most of these pieces were completed.

Olivia experiments with many forms of style and color, which make for some of her most striking and exotic work to date. This is well displayed in "Zebra Lady III" as the nude, striped model (Rhonda Rydell) blends into and almost disappears into the striped backdrop. While not necessarily known for darker, gothic works, Olivia clearly shows she can compete with the best in that genre with works such as the female vampire on display in "Things that Go Bump in the Night" and the winged, horned "Banshee" which serves as one of the book' covers.

Flipping to the landscape side, the buxom blonde bombshell Shear is captivating in the painting entitled "Pomeranians" as she finds herself lying on the ground, covered in a wrap made out of those furry, little dogs.

Second Slice is another gorgeous collection of Olivia's works, all from the 80's and 90's. It is filled with gorgeous women and bold, sassy, and exotic colors and settings. Olivia continues to prove why she is at the top of her game.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Olivia was one of my favorite artist, and in my collection of Illustrations books she can't be absent. This new collection of paintings shows her skills to mold all kind of techniques.
A must have release.

Olivia is the Vargas of our time. As Vargas took the reigns from Petty, Olivia has done the same, and Just like Vargas went beyond Petty in terms of realism, and delicate beauty, Olivia De Berardinis has taken cheesecake to a whole new level. Every pose, expression, and little bit of body language is put to use. Every Shot is beyond what a glamor photographer would dream of. Utter Perfection on so many levels. There is definitely some of her art that pays tribute to Petty, and Vargas among other legends of pinup in many of her pieces in most of her books. This one is a collection that spans many realms, and genres as would only be appropriate in our day. (Frank Frazetta influence spans the universe) There are no pieces that are over the top goriffic, or Horrific works like Clevenger, but there is some definite influence from Fantasy art in a portion of this book. The cover of this book was also a cover on Heavy Metal Magazine of which Olivia did many covers for in the past. This book is like an homage to the beauty of the feminine and female form, as is all of her work. Mouthwatering is the only description I can give it. If your looking for extreme fantasy, or horrific, gorrific works go for Clevenger. But if you want to see the beauty of the female form that can only be described as: like looking into the eyes of an angel". Olivia's books will do you no wrong. This one is no exception.

For any female who has ever been embarassed by the pictures of the other publications that are not so tasteful in showing a nude female this is a book to check out. I myself grew up with a feeling of nakedness is not beautiful and felt that way until I was about 18. When one day someone showed Olivia pictures to me and opened my mind allowing me to see the real beauty of the female form. It is beyond words and as a young woman it allowed me to feel better about myself. As a reminder to myself of the beauty she brings out in a woman I have small tattoo of Heatseeker just below my waist.

Who better to draw women than a woman? Olivia De Barardinis is the undisputed queen of cheesecake art, that wonderful if ill-defined blend of sensuality, sexuality, humor, and glamor.

Although her style covers a wide range, each illustration depicts a lone model. Based on Olivia's notes at the end of the book, it sounds as if each woman's presence is just too big to share a page with any other. Each time Olivia paints, she captures something unique to the model, so two models might confuse the directness of the image. Other visual elements appear in her work often enough to form a recognizable ensemble: happily erotic poses, improbably high heels, and lingerie ranging from antique to futuristic fanatasy. Various of the paintings here show other influences, including Bettie Page, Klimt, Marilyn Monroe, Erte, and generations of other sensualists.

Olivia uses the last few pages to add notes describing the paintings. The text identifies each one by title (if any), year, medium, and usually the name of the model. In many cases, Olivia says a bit more about the woman depicted, the inspiration for the image, or something else to help the reader enjoy the picture - as if help were needed. Then, the last two pages let her talk about the creative process in each of her media, including watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and her trademark oil. I recommend this to anyone fascinated by Olivia's voluptuous, vivacious vamps and vixens.

-- wiredweird

Just pop in some FrontLine Assembly, VNV Nation, Funker Vogt, and Apoptygma Berserk mp3s, and browse through this amazing collection of sci fi/fantasy artwork from the master known simply as Brom. Large, crisp, full-color photos of his amazing paintings grace this informative book. See sketches for some of his paintings in the margins, and view his talented early sketches from age 5, 11, and 20 years of age.

Brom is the most amazing artist in the Fantasy genre. This book is a great buy if you love Fantasy art and you want to see a true master. Forget Frazetta, forget Vallejo, Brom is the one. This book portrays Brom's art to it's fullest. Beautiful, full color prints adorn every page, showing off Brom's masterful talent and attention to detail. Don't miss out on this one or it's sequal 'Offerings'.

If you like to draw, like great art works, sci-fi, well fantasy art this book is for you. Brom his a great artist, very talented, his art book got lot of nice to weird art works. It had been a while since I search for a great fantasy art book and this one is the best I saw so far!

I saw this book in a store yesterday. The title, Darkwërks was what first caught my eye. So I picked it up, looked at the covers, back and front, and began to flip through the first pages. I was amused very much by the art created by Brom in his earlier years. For instance, when he was age 6, he drew quite a bloody scene; a body riddled with knives and sharp objects. So, I started to look through the pages. Immediately, I was captivated by his morbidity and uniqueness. The graphic beauty of each picture shot into my eyes and made my heart quicken. I had only planned to glance through the book, but within seconds I had become a slave to each work of art.

While definitely not for the....."Normal" person, anyone who loves the morbid and macabre will love this book with all their heart and soul. Beautiful, beautiful blood and violence. Femme nikita, freaks of nature, tortured souls and Dark Angels fill the pages of this magnificent masterpiece. BUY IT NOW!!! Hah...

Brom is a fantasy artist who is best known for his work on his work Dark Sun, Deadlands, collectable card games, and book covers. He stands out from Boris & Julie as well as Frank Franzetta partially for the sole reason that most of (though not all) of his portraits contain people who wear clothing, albeit usually something fetish inspired, leather and latex. He has a very distinct style, painting very beautiful moon-skinned redheads and tan wild-elven creatures, which stand along detailed landscapes that insipre the imagination. Some of his work is disturbing (though not quite as disturbing as H.R. Geiger), and mostly very dark (what would you expect from a man who listens to Nick Cave while he paints?) but all of his work is remarkably well composed and masterfully detailed.
Brom has a larger influence than many people realize, for example the evil albino in the recently released movie Time Machine could very well have come directy from the pages of Darkwerks. To get an idea of how popular Brom has become, just type in his name in any search engine (Google works best). Darkwerks is a very good collection of his art, containing very little text and allowing all of the pages to be showcased in full-sized, full-colored glory.

This book is a necessity for any Buster Keaton fan or any fan of Hollywood history. It is well researched and absolutely fascinating.

This is a great book. I love to watch Keaton's movies with this to hand, it gives a whole new insight to the films. It is easy to read and it is interesting to see the sights of LA from the 20's. Sometimes it is sad to see that some of these locations are gone, where the building of freeways have necessitated the removal of whole city blocks. If I ever get to visit LA I know that this book will be going with me.

Years ago I purchased Civil War historian William A. Frassanito's excellent books "Gettysburg: A Journey in Time" and "Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest Day," which examine and compare historic and modern photographs of these famous battle sites. John Bengtson has done essentially the same thing for Hollywood using Keaton's films, and the result is nothing short of miraculous. Here are scenes of what used to be but are no more, resurrected with the benefit of Bengtson's keen eye, detective-like mind, and obsessive attention to detail. This is one heck of a fun book, and you'll spend many hours going over the photographs.

Amazingly, many of the scenic backdrops that Keaton used in his films still exist, and they serve today as nostalgic reminders of a relatively primitive and innocent time that has all but disappeared.

John Bengtson has done something so simple yet so essential to film history. If you live in LA the book will have a greater meaning. If not you can marvel at the almost film-archeological work Bengston has done in finding the exact places the great Buster Keaton filmed some of his best films.

This is a truly different kind of book. We get to see the locations that Buster made his films, and how they have changed through time. We also get to see how the author went about finding these places, a kind of historical research that takes a tremendous amount of time and effort.

This book is one that I automatically pick up when I'm not sure what I want to read, but want something interesting.

If there was a complaint, it would be that many of the pictures and some of the text is really too small. I have great eyesight, some of this is too hard for even me to see, and I know many people have a harder time with small text and pictures. Lay off of our eyesight, eh?


Still, a totally fascinating book. I can't get enough.

Brian Froud, the creator of the Dark Crystal, is a Genius.

This book is a small Bible.

Well written, and with images so refined it makes you wonder if it is all "human" made.

All your questions about the Dark Crystal will be answered.
The information contained in the book seems almost sacred,
as for the capacity for the human mind to understand it all,
that is yet to be proven...

This book is an amazing tome for anyone who grew up in adoration of The Dark Crystal. Brian Froud's illustrations and concepts are gorgeous and so incredibly creative. This book is delivered as a history of the World in which the film takes place. It is narrated by Aughra, "...the first and last," who witnessed thousands of years of creation and destruction. She monitors the cyclical suns, a spectator of the conjunctions that bring the wise urSkeks, and their division a thousand years later into the cruel Skeksis and the mystical urRu. Aughra alone knows the long history of the crystal and throughout the pages, describes life throughout the ages. There are so many subtleties that the book describes that I can't wait to watch the film again, knowing the significance of the shapes of rocks, the intricate details of the clothes the characters wear, and the elaborate symbolism peppered throughout. The art is gorgeous and the insights into the World of the Dark Crystal shed a new light on the film and its philosophy. Bravo!

A must have for any Dark Crystal fan. It contains detailed pictures, decriptios of the various races, and a breif overveiw of how the world works. It also contains some history on the making of the movie, and a copy of the orginal movie idea. Even if you don't like the movie, it would be hard not to appreciate level of detail that went into this imaginary world.

Overall: An excellent book, which I highly recomend.

I didn't grow up with "The Dark Crystal" like most others who bought this book. I watched it for the first time in 2007. While I found the movie charming, it didn't leave much of an impression. Still, I was fascinated with just how so powerfully so many people love this movie. The film has such a following that a sequel is on the way after 25 years. So, I bought this book to see what it was I was missing. This book is mostly written from the point of view of Aughra, one of the main characters in the film. The art is fantastic but what I adored was the mythology I found within these pages. In this book is a vivid history of the world of the Dark Crystal, complete with philosophical and religious ideas that have a strong connection to the events of the film. If you wish to understand the films themes and events better, there is no better book than this. A MUST for all fans of "The Dark Crystal"

This reedition was long awaited and now I see it's simply delightful. Detailed presentation, awesome drawing and descriptions, it speaks for itself it's been compiled and conceived with an exquisite taste. It includes some extra copies from original designs in fine paper into some kind of envelope. This book is a must for everyone who loves "The Dark Crystal" and wants to know beyond and before... I do love this book.

I thought this book is very good for beginners who are interested in roman army and equipment. it is nicely divided into 4 parts, and the terminology is clearly explained with photos or illustrations. There are also small surprises where specific campaigns are discussed in a 2 page summary. i will definitely recommend this book for beginners

Anyone interested in Roman History should include this in their library.
Excellent detailed pictures and written history.

Adrian Goldworthy's The Complete Roman Army gives a pretty complete coverage of the Roman legions during their heydays during the late Republican and early Imperial periods. It reflects on the gradual evolution of the Roman army as it developed from a semi-professional civilian army of the Senate to a permanent professional forces under the Caesars.

The book gives a pretty complete coverage of this army. The information given is clear and written with clarity. There's enough to provide the needed information and no more. It refreshing that there is no overkill of information that will only result in clutter for a book like this. The balance of the information given is just right. The book comes loaded with well drawn illustrations, nice photos, maps and diagrams that gives a clear and understandable images to accompanied the text. As one previous reviewer wrote, it truly is one of the best single volume reference book on the Roman legions during its heydays.

And that is what this book is, a reference guide to the Roman legions. Anyone seeking a quick answer to any questions on the Roman legions, this is the book to touch on. I have loan out this book to people who are not historically minded but like to read Roman historical fictions like Simon Scarrow's Cato/Macros series for example. For readers of such series, this book is almost tailor made for them.

On the down side, this book is pretty expensive for a casual reader to buy and it doesn't go into much detail during the decline of Rome. But I don't think that was the real intent of the author.

Overall, an excellent effort by Adrian Goldworthy who wrote a really accessible reference book on the Roman legions during its heydays and make it interesting and informative enough that even veteran readers like myself or a novice who is only interested in fictional history, can both enjoy this book.

Because I am writing a novel about the Roman Army I was looking for a source that brings my research together. Having read several of Goldworthy's works I knew this book would be well researched and very readable. I was not disappointed. The graphics are great, drawings, paintings, maps, diagrams and photos really bring support the text and answer a lot of questions that even a professional researcher may have.

The complete Roman Army is just that. Although it will not stand alone, it is the one work I have in my library that answers the lions share of my questions. Since buying my first copy nearly two years ago, I have begun sending it as a gift item to other enthusiasts, even one to my editor. This book is a good investment.

If you are going to buy one book on the Roman Army - this should be that book!

Historian Adrian Goldsworthy write authoratively and in great detail on every aspect of the Roman Army, including the Republican Army, the Professional Army, the life of the Roman soldier, the Roman Army at war, and the Army of late Antiquity.

This book, which is a great read and is lavishly illustrated with maps, photographs, timelines and charts, provides unparalleled insight into the armies of the Caesar's as well as all aspects of warfare through the late 3rd Century.

This is an excellent text/reference for drawing enthusiasts, or students of drawing. Both the way it is broken down, and uses examples from the masters to illustrate the concepts offer a really solid grounding in how line is used to describe space, shape and tone.

This is one of the "timeless" drawing reference books every artist should look at when he/she needs inspiration. Hale picks some of the most dynamic life drawings by the old masters--Leonardo, Ingres, etc.--and disects them in terms of composition, tone, thrust, etc. He is right on in his suggestions that artists should study human and animal surface anatomy to understand the figure. I found his discussion of light and shadow especially instructive.

More of a philosophical approach to drawing than instructional. But, often i find it enlightening to learn HOW to think...more so than WHAT. A great artist can synthesize his ideas rather than simply comprehend them. This book exemplifies and necessitates this philosophy.

I like that he has a full page to show the drawing and on the facing page he has a smaller version with commentary. He places capital letters on the drawing so you can see exactly which line or shape he is discussing.

Robert Beverly Hale was one of the masters in teaching figure drawing. A must for serious students of figure painting.

Wonderful - the shots were amazing. I really enjoyed just leafing through the book and let the visions just wash over me.

Frans Lanting does it again in Eye To Eye--a brilliant collection of intimate portraits and daily activities of various animals. Like Jungles, it's a book that no natural photographer should be without. When you can see the individual hairs in a courgar's fur coat, it makes you kind of wonder what it would be like to be that close to one.
Looking at Lanting's work is always like looking through a book of artwork, as if he is the Picasso of photography and we are looking through his masterpieces.

From the elephant up to the insect, from the cayman up to the seal every animal looks us in the eyes deeply. "Less than the human being: - the monkey follows in the system of zoology according to an immense ravine. If one, however, once wanted to organize the animals after her bliss, cosiness etc., then some people would come to stand anyway apparently under the miller donkeys and hounds ... ", 250 years ago the nature scientist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg already wrote. However, he did not have a camera yet to hand to cover this. Frans Lanting, however, shows us the determination with which snow geese and ibisses, penguins or zebras are away to something, shows us her family care and the dignity of animals in liberty - at times, when more and more people feel caught - a book which reminds us that "upright walking"- that synonymous of the philosophers for courage and self-respect - that you can make it true even on all four paws...

Frans Lanting is one of the great wildlife photographers of the world. He has published many books showing wild animals but "Eye to Eye" is certainly one of his most famous. It consists of dramatically close-up photographs of animals, always concentrating on the eyes of the subject.

The book is divided into three parts: "One on One" shows photographs of single animals, often so close that the frame is filled completely with just the animal's eyes. "Two by Two" usually shows pairs of animals, although there are occasional shots of larger groups. Often the pictures are of mother and child, or mates, but a few shots show conflict. "All in All" shows shots of larger groups of animals. The book also contains a two page section called "Behind the Camera" in which Lanting discusses his photographic philosophy but provides few hints that will allow others to copy his style. Finally, perhaps because the text of the main sessions is limited to species name, there is a section of thumbnails with a brief statement concerning the picture. I found this section to be particularly inadequate since I often said to myself "How did he do that?" but got no help in finding an answer.

These are amazing pictures, primarily because Lanting has managed to get so close to his subjects. In a few pictures we can see that that is a result of enlarging and cropping, but in most cases the pictures are sharp enough so that so that we realize he was really close to the animals. Moreover, with a few exceptions, these are not captive animals. I for one would not like to take a picture of a wild lion at a distance of twenty feet. At least one critic has suggested that this book raised the bar for all wildlife photographers, forcing them to get closer to their subjects, and placing more stress upon photographers and subject.

There are moments of great intimacy, particularly in the "Two by Two" section, where the pictures of parent and child tug at our heartstrings. It's hard not to see human characteristics in these photos. The book also benefits from its layout, grouping its subjects by actions. Thus there are pictures of a huge flock of butterflies followed by pictures of ibises, penguins, snow geese, zebras and elephants all purposefully on the move to some destination. I also particularly enjoyed facing pictures of a lion and a leopard, moving toward the centerfold in mirror image.

These are great photographs because the photographer got so close to his subjects. But they are also mostly documentary. Few of the pictures rise to the level where the form rather than the subject makes them art, although I was particularly struck by a picture of Oryxes carefully treading their way across the Namibian sand dunes. But when I compare Lanting's photographs to the work of other wildlife photographers like Art Wolfe, I can see the difference. The pictures in Wolfe's "The Living Wild" show each animal in its environment, where Wolfe was better able to concentrate on the composition of his subjects to create a more artful picture.

Not withstanding this quibble, "Eye to Eye" is a great book, and readers are unlikely to soon forget these close encounters with the other living inhabitants of our planet.

Wow !!! How can anyone get so close?!

These photographs are stunning. The talent of Frans Lanting oozes from these pages.

There is a closeness to the subjects here that borders on the intimate. In some cases, one wonders how he actually managed to get the shot.

The focussing and exposure is spot on and the composition is perfect.

I have tried to follow this type of photography and I am only too aware of how difficult it is to obtain these sorts of images.

I take my hat off to Frans Lanting. This is a brilliant work. A completely unique approach to wildlife photography. His behind the scenes narrative to the shots is illuminating.

This book is a valuable reference for all nature photographers. Sensational !