The Mammoth Book of Illustrated Erotic Women (Paperback)

~ Maxim Jakubowski (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This follow-up volume to the black-and-white Mammoth Book of Erotic Photography celebrates the female form through these studies by top photographers around the world, as well as some impressive new talents. It features the work of 78 photographers (many of whom specialize in nudes), with approximately 8 images each, as well as a short biography and picture of each contributor. Included is a larger than ever number of female photographers, many of whom intriguingly practice the art of self portraiture-a chance to see how gender can sometimes influence the subtle way of looking at the body. There's also a father and daughter team; a photographer who also appears as a model in two other portfolios; the grandson of the famed American photographer Edward Weston; a mix of professional and amateur photographers; and contributions from the UK, USA, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Russia, Argentina, France, Israel, Italy, Poland, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, and Holland

About the Author

Maxim Jakubowski is the editor of several Mammoth bestsellers including Erotica, International Erotica, Historical Erotica, New Erotica. He lives in London, where he runs Murder One bookshop as well as reviewing crime fiction for the Guardian.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (October 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786716029
• ISBN-13: 978-0786716029
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #378,347 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Today's nudes, February 5, 2006

By	wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Beautiful nudes, all of them, but rather subdued to anyone looking for serious erotica. The majority of these photos are figure studies, just a simple celebration of women's youthful beauty. Many of the women have pierced this'n'that and many have tattoos, from the demure on up. In some, the marks are just the ones left by the sun or by nature (p.378 - charming!). A few add simple props, like the cover's gauzy scarf. A few others add wit in the form of a piece of fruit (p.450) or a flower (p.380)

For many artists, the erotic comes not just from nudity, but from undress. That genre displays clothes and underclothes in various states of removal. Others see lingerie as decoration in itself, ranging up to stylized, impractical items worn for their play value alone. Along that axis, pictures range from innocent to intense kinds of pinups. The outer ranges of these pictures add moderate bondage, improbably high heels, or other mild fetish elements. A few suggest or show physicality between women or of a woman with herself. The very few pictures that cross over into hard core seem decidedly out of place amid generally tasteful and elegant images.

The models are all lovely, but are all just anonymous models. Other collections assign a name (or at least a pseudonym) to each, an acknowledgement of the person in front of the camera that this collection does not allow. And, as in so many collections, European features, 20-ish and thin, predominate by a large margin. The world has so many other colors, ages, and shapes of beauty that this collection, despite more then 450 pages, comes across as incomplete. Also, I have to wonder how this collection will look in twenty years - skin has always been there, but pierced and inked skin are today's look and that will pass in time. Despite these few flaws, the collection is lovely and enticing, a worthwhile part of any collection of figure photography.

//wiredweird

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Like a jumbo shrimp, January 21, 2007

By	Jason Nadler (Wading River, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This Mammoth book is actually a little paperback. It's filled with fine examples of fine art nude and erotic photography. It is unfortunate that the photographs could not be presented in a larger setting, so the photographers art could be fully appreciated.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Compilation, August 2, 2009

By	Art Photo Fan (Nevada, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mammoth Book of Erotic Women (Paperback)

This was one of the first artistic nudes books I bought. It is certainly a great volume that can provide inspiration for any beginning photographer. This is not a hard erotica volume, more of a compilation of works by many great artists. Would recommend this for any beginner photographer who is interested in getting an overview of many different ways to present a nude female form. The only gripe I have is the format of this book. The volume is simply too thick for its size making it difficult to keep the pages open.