Customer Reviews

The Male Nude

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Any one who describes this book as "Just another example of a old man taking pictures of young men" has very probably never seen the book, which includes such diverse photographers as German Leni Reiffenstal and American Robert Mapplethorpe, and which occasionally extends its scope to include photographs of male and female nudes. The photographs range from great art to the trivial effort and from haunting beauty to the occasional effort to shock-- the latter of which focuses, ironically, less on nudity than on activity. While I recommend the book, I must note that the accompanying text is fairly insignificant and the images selected from 1950-1990 are considerably less interesting than those of 1900-1950. I must also note that this is NOT an "outsize" or "coffee table size" book; rather, it is a very thick but otherwise standard-size book; this, however, does not really detract from the content.

This book is essential to anyone who loves the sublimity of the human male form, whether of straight Or homoerotic nature. The beautiful photographs cover the male nude from 1870's to the present. Many Rare and Never-Before-Seen Photos are inside, on every page. Kinda wish it was hardcover, but that's about my only complaint. A must-have for any lover of the human form or anyone studying the human form. Excellent and Unprecedented!

There isn't much else I can say that I didn't cover in the title of my review. This is a good collection of photographs divided into time periods, each of which is given a brief essay introduction by Leddick. Leddick, while not a brilliant art historian, is the best I've found on this controversial and often overlooked artform.

The Male Nude is the best book I have seen depicting the male anatomy. The sheer volume of material gives the reader an extrordinary chance to see excellent pictures that may have gone unseen had it not been for this publication. If anyone is seriously interested in fine art as well as erotic and sometimes haunting images then this book should be in your collection! (I hope that Leddick will release a part two to this one!!!)

Studnmiami

This book gives an extensive tour of the history of male nudity in photos. The text is interesting, but it is of course the photographs that catches the eye... From early anonymous photographers, to the present stars Mapplethorpe etc., we are given the chance to explore the natural beauty of male nude photography.

I have found this book to be a visual and solid example of some of the finest artistic photography, and of excellent quality. David, you have made an impact, and I only hope that you will continue in your fantastic display of talent.

This is the BEST collection of photography of the nude male body I have seen since I began buying books in this category in 1974! 768 pages comprising the history of this category, ending with some exquisitie Bruce Weber photos I've never seen. A must-buy!

The book contains a wide selection of photos of known and unknown photographers. Some of the former were new to me and there were photos by others of whom I had heard but never seen. But for erudite commentary I would recommend "Fully Exposed" by Emmanuel Cooper.

The used copy of the book I received is better than described as it is a hardbound copy rather than a paperback. The cover is thin but it is definitely bound in hardback style with a spine cover that is separate from the spine gluing, true hardback binding style. Both are sewn signature bound however.

This edition of the book also has about 190 pages and photos more than the Taschen 25th anniversary edition with the same author and title. I now have both versions. This edition has the same photos as the later edition and a lot of additional ones. The text is the same in both editions. This is definitely the preferred edition IMO.

Just another example of a old man taking pictures of young men. Oh ya It's art.......