Customer Reviews

Dog Dogs

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Flipping through this book is like drinking from a fire hose-- or hydrant. There are of course many classic pictures of dogs, in normal and abnormal situations, taken all over the world. But these are buried under too many good-but-hardly-great shots. Half these pictures would make a better collection; half of that even better. Erwitt goes for quantity.
For quality, try Conrad's "Les Chiens de Paris", 1/8th the size, but culled from a wide assortment of photographers (incl. Erwitt), though in just one (forgive the pun) spot.

Also, if you're gift-shopping for someone else's children, as I was, be aware that Erwitt includes some near-naked Frenchmen and Brazilians with his dogs.

Without a doubt this is a collection of great photos of dogs (820 dogs, in 512 pages - also horses, pigs, cows, cats, and many people) taken over many years and in many countries.

It appears to be wordless; the photographs begin on page one, and there is no text or even a frontispiece before them. If you dig a little, you will find that in fact, buried deep in the middle of this book are two choice bones: an essay, "My Dog Days," by Erwitt, and P. G. Wodehouse's "About My Friends," an appreciation of Elliott Erwitt and of dogs, in Erwitt's words, " easy, uncomplaining targets." Wodehouse traces his own colorful history of dog-owning with warmth and dry humor. Whereas Erwitt writes that "with dogs, as with love affairs, the first and the last are most vivid," Wodehouse seems to vividly remember many more than a couple of dogs.

Wodehouse is convincing, for example, in his assertion that Aberdeen terriers are so "full of the Calvinistic spirit that it is impossible for an ordinary erring human being not to feel ill at ease in their presence." He loves dogs, (some more than others), he doesn't apologize for it, and asks, finally, for "a standing ovation to all dogs," which is precisely what this terrific little book delivers.

Not only is this a great book for someone who loves dogs, but it just has some great street photography in general. Personally, I love the mass quanities of photographs. Whenever I look through a book by Cartier-Bresson (or anyone else, for that matter) I always want to see what else he shot besides what ultimately made it into the book. Someday, I hope someone will publish a book of contact sheets, and this is close to doing that.

ive bought like 4 copies of this book to give as gifts...if you like dogs...you'll love this

Not really a dog portrait book, this book has dogs captured in real settings and sometimes as accessories to the photographic composition. Awesome.

This collection is overwhelming in its enormity - there are many wonderful photos - an embarassment of riches. The fact that these photos were taken over 50 years and all over the globe is inspiring and humbling at the same time. I would have given it 5 stars but it's not edited concisely enough to REALLY have a consistent point of view. Sometimes "more" is NOT necessarily "better"!!

It goes without saying that dogs are human's best companies. Though the pictures are all in black-and-white, they still present how much joy and happiness the pets bring to us. Shouldn't we cherish what we get from them?

I adore this book, and carry it around with me. It cheers me up, when people get me down, just to look at the beauty of these animals in different situations. Dogs are wonderful, and Erwitt has an amazing ability to capture them in photographs. A picture book for the dog lover - you will love it! Great for browsing through when standing in line somewhere, riding, or just relaxing. It's my favorite "pick-me-up" and a perfect gift for any dog lover.

This is one of the best, most inexpensive Christmas presents I've ever bought for someone. Every black and white photo in the book seems to tell a story or convey a sense of time or place. If you're a dog lover or owner I guarantee you'll be charmed by it. I don't have a dog at the present time but I have in the past, and this book reminded me of what incredible animals they are. I bought this book as a Christmas present for a dog lover friend. I glanced at just a few of the photos, and quickly knew that it would be a perfect present. I wanted to keep it for myself, but felt bad about it, so I immediately ordered my own copy from Amazon. The only thing that would make me happier is if Phaidon published a similar book on cats. You won't find a better book for the money.

This book is a delight. A brilliant collection of nicely reproduced black-and-white photos with only a few (maybe 8) pages of text. This book is proof that Errwitt is indeed one of our great photographic masters. A lot of my friends and family will be getting this book from me for Christmas. It is an inspiration for photographers and animal lovers everywhere.