Himalayan Odyssey [Hardcover]

David Samuel Robbins (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0971523487 | ISBN-13: 978-0971523487 | Publication Date: August 1, 2002

An epic photographic journey across the entire Himalayan range. Over the course of a decade, the author trekked more than 2,000 miles through Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and North India, creating an intimate and sensitive portrait of Himalayan landscape and culture. Himalayan Odyssey is a journey into a spiritual way of life far removed from the modern world. It is also a documentary of remarkable depth and insight - and a poignant record of fragile cultures in transition. A lavishly produced volume of the highest quality, Himalayan Odyssey is 128 pages of spectacular photographs, insightful text and extensive captions, all exquisitely printed on heavyweight art paper. Hard cover, cloth bound. Oversized 10.5 x 15 inch landscape format. Introduction by Pico Iyer. Jacket comments by Martin Scorsese and Peter Matthiessen.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...This is a collection of unique images that expands our perceptions of the world." -- Martin Scorsese, comments from the dust jacket

"...these images feel not like the shiny discoveries of some tourist, but like the gnarled truths of the resident... -- Pico Iyer, excerpts from the foreword

"Robbins beautiful Himalayan work is suffused with grit, smoke, air and mountain light, just as it should be. Wonderful!" -- Peter Matthiessen, comments from the dust jacket

About the Author

A professional photojournalist for over 12 years, David Samuel Robbins has worked on assignment throughout the world for National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Men's Journal, and many other national publications. His Himalayan images have been widely published in the United States and Europe. Many of the images shown in the book Himalayan Odyssey have been previously published in Outside, GEO, DoubleTake, The New York Times Sophisticated Traveler and Smithsonian magazines.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Ad Editions (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971523487
• ISBN-13: 978-0971523487
• Product Dimensions: 15.3 x 10.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,406,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Unexpected, September 30, 2002

By 

Daniel J. Mullins (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Himalayan Odyssey (Hardcover)

Being a collector of photography books, I normally do not buy books of traditional landscape photography. My tastes normally lean toward more the more edgy urban "street" photographers, black and white historical photographs, and some of the modern portrait photographers, but this book is unique, and I find myself continually drawn back to it's pages.
I've seen other books on the same area of the world but Davis Robbins images are very different and unexpected.
In a place that is so distant and foreign to my own and so naturally beautiful in it's sheer vastness that you could point a camera almost any where and find something interesting, Mr. Robbins has found something new. He obviously has a place in his heart for this place and these people and his photographs are probably not what you would expect.
He seems to have that rare ability to convey the honesty in the everyday and to step beyond the seemingly brutal details of life in these environs to see into the hearts and minds of these distant people.
My favorite image in the book seems to change with each adventure through the pages, and I look forward to the discussions I have with anyone who finds it on my coffee table.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Himalayan Odyssey, October 16, 2002

By 

Brent H Williamson (Seattle, WA. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Himalayan Odyssey (Hardcover)

It is clear that David Robbins reveals artistic intellegence surpassed only by the beauty of his subject matter. As I turn through the pages I see metaphore after metaphore expressed by horses as mountains, a mother and child as a great wind, a man bearing a burden to the elevations as great slices of frozen rock jutt upward toward the sky. These metaphores call to us and serve as reminders of endurance, of simplicity, and all that is precious. In the pages of this book, your imagination can be unlocked and your thirst for understanding and compassion unbridled. It is important, especially in this time, to remember the beauty of the human spirit, the beauty of the earth and how they can fit together.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime Equanimity, June 5, 2003

By 

K. Johnson (US/Asia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Himalayan Odyssey (Hardcover)

Short and simple will be enough here:

128 pages of mystical beauty that can be found in the Hymalayas and in this book. There is some use of symbolic metaphors of early morning mysts, people, homes, genuine symbols of culture and nature. Movements captured for an eternity. A window to peer through for most of the people that will never be able to experience and see these places and its' people in their lives. There is good in this, for too many people would destroy such beauty and equanimity....