Love [Hardcover]

Ferdinand Protzman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2008

Universally desired and uniquely experienced, love finds expression in every land and culture. This enchanting new book celebrates the depth and diversity of love—at many moments in history, and at every human age—in an exquisite collection of photographs from National Geographic’s famous archives and beyond. Each picture tells a tantalizing story and captures an intimate, unforgettable glimpse of love’s many facets, from courtship to friendship to charity and more.

As life-affirming and surprising as its namesake, the book is a beautiful keepsake for lovers and a must-have for all who admire classic photography. Masters of the art, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, August Sander, Mary Ellen Mark, Eugene Richards, and William Allard, are among those who have traveled the globe to capture love’s nuances. Showcasing evocative black-and-white portraits and gorgeous color images, Love follows in the tradition of bestselling photography titles including Work, Through the Lens, In Focus, and Wide Angle.

More satisfying than candy and more affordable than a bouquet of flowers, Love is perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, weddings, birthdays—and every occasion for gifts between those who love.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Book Description
Universally desired and uniquely experienced, love finds expression in every land and culture. This enchanting new book celebrates the depth and diversity of love—at many moments in history, and at every human age—in an exquisite collection of photographs from National Geographic’s famous archives and beyond. Each picture tells a tantalizing story and captures an intimate, unforgettable glimpse of love’s many facets, from courtship to friendship to charity and more.

As life-affirming and surprising as its namesake, the book is a beautiful keepsake for lovers and a must-have for all who admire classic photography. Masters of the art, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, August Sander, Mary Ellen Mark, Eugene Richards, and William Allard, are among those who have traveled the globe to capture love’s nuances. Showcasing evocative black-and-white portraits and gorgeous color images, Love follows in the tradition of bestselling photography titles including Work, Through the Lens, In Focus, and Wide Angle.

More satisfying than candy and more affordable than a bouquet of flowers, Love is perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, weddings, birthdays—and every occasion for gifts between those who love.

Look Inside Love

Click on thumbnails for larger images

Ole Miss fraternity party; Mississippi, 1986 (William Albert Allard, National Geographic)	Couple in Greenville, Mississippi, 1987 (William Albert Allard, National Geographic)	Gypsies; Bucharest, Romania, 1999 (Tomasz Tomaszewski, National Geographic)	Homecoming festivities at Jeb Stuart High School; Falls Church,Virginia, 1999 (Karen Kasmauski, National Geographic)

A family from Kosovo is reunited; Albania, 1999 (Tom Stoddart, Getty Images)	A May snowstorm; Kaivopuisto Park, Finland (George Mobley, National Geographic)	Tourists admire a stuffed moose; Anchorage, Alaska (Chris Johns, National Geographic)	Csango couple on their wedding day; Setetpataka, Romania (Tomasz Tomaszewski, National Geographic)

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Much of love's established, contemporary iconography comes from photography—Brassaï's couple embracing in a Paris cafe (included here) or Alfred Eisenstadt's post-WWII Times Square embrace, but in this beautiful volume, love is conveyed in both predictable and surprising ways. Images by famous photographers—inside and outside of National Geographic's stable—capture the emotion from across the decades and around the globe. Here love's iconography is expanded to include a heart-shaped balloon floating over the city of Jaipur and three babies crawling in a row across colorful, plaid blankets. The emotion's darker side is touched upon, as well as love between parents and children—a child kisses its mother's nose in Milan—and siblings. In some of the book's most surprising images, lovers pull the viewer's attention into the background of a picture that otherwise calls one's attention to discord or isolation. An essay by ARTnews contributing editor Protzman adds context to and commentary on some of the images, but the pictures speak for themselves. Though the point may be that love is expressed the same way in every culture, time and place, it's the differences among this broad range of settings and eras that keep one interested. A strong choice for any coffee-table. 150 color and b&w plates. (Jan.)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142620115X
• ISBN-13: 978-1426201158
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 1 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #977,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't go wrong for the price!, March 17, 2008

By 

E. Safak - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love (Hardcover)

As I have come to expect from NG, the reproduction quality, size and price were great. This book contains photographs taken all around the world from famous photographers such as David Alan Harvey, interspersed with essays behind their provenance; e.g., the one about two men from Kabul having their passport photo taken while wearing make-up, in defiance of the Taliban (who banned photography except for identification purposes). Not all the photographs are recent (or grim); good selection!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, interesting photography, April 19, 2010

By 

Rebecca Charlton (Castaic, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Love (Hardcover)

This is a gorgeous coffee table book. I enjoyed the theme and bought it for my husband-to-be. HOWEVER, I did not realize that there would be MANY photos of homosexual couples throughout the book. For me, this was not a problem, but it did make for some uncomfortable moments for people who are not quite ready for alternative lifestyles on a coffee table. I write this not as a criticism of the book - it's lovely - but as an item of awareness for purchasers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Photography, August 3, 2009

By 

M. Kelly (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Love (Hardcover)

I'm generally not one to buy a photography or art book but Love is truly a masterpiece. It captures the entire spectrum of love from young siblings to elderly couples. It shows people in the ravishes of love and people in the comfortable embrace of it. If you appreciate photos of people, reality, and raw human emotion this is definitely a must-have.