Magnum Degrees [Paperback]

Michael Ignatieff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 2003

Here the photographers of Magnum, 50 years after the legendary group began its documentary mission, address the world following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989; a period which has seen the triumph of US capitalism at one extreme and the resurgence of ancient blood feuds at the other. The book is built around photo-essays selected and introduced by the photographers, many shot especially for the book. From Henri Cartier-Bresson to Magnum's newest recruits, each photographer navigates the issues of history in their own way - some tackling the dramatic changes in the world head-on in the traditional manner of the "concerned photographer", others choosing subjects and aesthetic viewpoints which are entirely personal. The result is an album of contemporary photography about the world today. "Magnum" is introduced by historian, broadcaster and cultural commentator Michael Ignatieff, linking the substance and pace of change in the post-Cold-war world with the historic role of the Magnum witness and image-maker. This is a book about history and humanity, journalism and art, and revealing the photographers of Magnum entering a new era.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A 1947 lunch meeting of four friends proved to be one of the most auspicious dates in the history of photojournalism. It was around a lunch table that day that Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David Seymour--each recently returned from covering World War II and its aftermath--formed the Magnum photo agency. Since then, Magnum photographers, with their singular knack for capturing history in an instant, have been responsible for creating many of the most iconic images of our world, in both war and peace. Magnum Degrees is a selection of agency photos that illustrates the range of subject matter and imagery the photographers have captured over the last half century.

The book, which overflows with photographs and includes only the briefest amount of text, is arranged thematically to effectively highlight the wide scope of images even within a narrow field. In "Middle East," Larry Towell captures boys playing in Gaza, while Micha Bar-Am trains his camera on a Jewish man, wrapped in a prayer shawl, fleeing a smoke bomb in Jerusalem. In "India," in the town of Benares, Ferdinando Scianna snaps photos of an excruciatingly thin man carrying his dead daughter and two nicely dressed young girls frolicking in the water. In "Religion," photographer Abbas trains his lens both on a man reenacting the Crucifixion in the Philippines and a woman being physically moved by the Holy Spirit in a rural Georgia church. As some of the themes--"Refugees," "Child Victims," "In the Camps," "War in Africa"--suggest, many of the images here are powerfully disturbing. Others, particularly those collected under the headings "Trees," "Fishing," and "Architecture," are lyrically beautiful. Still others, like Martin Parr's photographs of tourists on vacation the world over, are witty and comic. Taken together, the thousand or so photos here capture the often surprising, always complex nature of humanity and do justice to the agency founders' original intention to "document the world as it really is." --Jordana Moskowitz --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Founded in 1947 by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and other eminent photographers, Magnum is an agency of elected photojournalists who independently photograph what they choose rather than what they are assigned. Arguably the best of their profession, their images can have a lasting impact on viewers, often combining a moment in history with carefully honed artistic detail. Compiled in conjunction with a worldwide tour, this hefty exhibition catalog contains over 600 color and black-and-white photographs by 69 Magnum photographers, including original contributions from Cartier-Bresson. Throughout, these images attempt to make sense of today's complex globalization while graphically portraying the suffering, devastation, and revolutions of the last decade, beginning with the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. More universal experiences are represented as well. Brief comments by the photographers summarize their perceptions, and historian Michael Ignatieff's introduction nicely frames the clear images--though the tiny orange print may annoy some readers. Recommended for general collections.
-Joan Levin, MLS, Chicago
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 536 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (December 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714843563
• ISBN-13: 978-0714843568
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.8 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Degrees of excellence., April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Magnum Degrees (Hardcover)

There are plenty of photograph anthologies available, but few of this caliber. Not only is the subject range impressive, the quality of the work is astounding. The section dealing with war provides a harrowing and insightful view into events of recent years, creating a sobering perspective of the late 20th century. An amazing book!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not my cup of tea, October 29, 2009

By 

Lisa (NYC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magnum Degrees (Paperback)

Please note that the focus of this book is photojournalism; and that is only covers about a decade of time, around the 1990s.

I can't fault the book for this, and I should have read the independent editorial reviews more carefully, but I thought this was a collection of photographs that spanned Magnum's *entire* history especially as the Amazon review stated "Magnum Degrees is a selection of agency photos that illustrates the range of subject matter and imagery the photographers have captured over the last half century."

That said, I was struck by many of the photographs in the book - in fact many of them, due to their subject matter, are alarming. As a compilation of 500+ pages, however, it was overwhelming. I wonder what a more focused selection of pictures might have achieved.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best ever., October 18, 2008

By 

Duane Ackerman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magnum Degrees (Paperback)

In this book any page you turn to is an amazing photo. While the book is on photo journalism, the photos are highly artistic. Probably one of the best photography books ever created. Not only are the photos wonderful but the production of the book is perfect...great size, high quality printing, sturdy binding and pages, excellent layout and light on text but the text that is there is well written. This is a must have for any photo library.