Images of Prehistory: Views of Early Britain [Hardcover]

Peter Fowler (Author), Mick Sharp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1990 | ISBN-10: 0521356466 | ISBN-13: 978-0521356466

This large format collection of stunning and atmospheric images of Britain's prehistoric past is a showcase for the work of one of the country's leading landscape photographers. Accompanied by a text and commentary at once authoritative and accessible, it will attract anyone interested in landscape photography and archaeology. After a brief illustrated introduction, the book falls into two parts. A Portfolio from Prehistory vividly illuminates the principal themes of prehistoric life: earning a living from the land, building to provide shelter, defending the community, and erecting tombs and devising rituals to honor the dead and ensure contact with the ancestral past. Prehistory in Landscapes then offers a sharper regional focus to illustrate the sheer density and variety of the prehistoric remains that survive on the uplands of Britain: on Orkney, and in North Wales, the Avebury area of Wiltshire and West Cornwall. Mick Sharp's sensitivity to skies, stone, subtle light and rugged landscape counterpoints perfectly with Peter Fowler's affectionate but trenchant commentary. Together they make Images of Prehistory a potent memorial to a vanished way of life. Peter Fowler, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne is known for his writings and broadcasting on the history of the British landscape. Mick Sharp, a professional photographer and archaeologist, runs a photographic library devoted to archaeology and the history of the landscape.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Each picture is accompanied by, and the whole collection embedded in, intelligent text by Peter Fowler, professor of archaeology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne." Thomas R. Knox, Journal of Cultural Geography

Book Description

A collection of stunningly atmospheric images of Britain's prehistoric past which, accompanied by authoritative text and lively commentaries that perfectly complement the images, will attract both connoisseurs of photography and lovers of archaeology and landscape.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 30, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521356466
• ISBN-13: 978-0521356466
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,892,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Not necessarily the first book you should buy on megaliths, July 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Images of Prehistory: Views of Early Britain (Hardcover)

If you're interested in Megaliths, this is a good choice, if not one of the best. The writing is well-done and thorough. The photographs are of excellent quality and show lots of thought. The only drawbacks are sometimes the photos are just too small to do justice to the subject, which seemed a little strange in a large-format book that allows large photos. Also, all the photos are in black and white, which works frequently, but also lacks the soul and dynamism of color. There's nothing wrong with black and white, and the photos are superb, but an entire book, at this selling price, was a bit of disappointment. I think a mix of color and black and white would have earned this book 5 stars. If this is your only book on megaliths, I'd look further for a color volume. But if you're a collector, this is a very good choice. The quality of the layout, paper, photos, printing and binding is excellent, which justifies the expense for a collector or one who especially enjoys black and white photography.