Customer Reviews

Photography: A Cultural History (3rd Edition)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

i had to buy this for class, and for once it isn't a "textbook" ! finally an art textbook that doubles as a coffee table book, and one you can read. very good text - easy, and not too "academic." highly recommend.

The last word in the sociology of photography: a truly encyclopaedic tome. Warner proceeds from the invention of photography across genres ( war, documentary, social sciences, mass media, post-modernism, youth and beauty and so on) Her categories are broad-ranging, free and eclectic: even a cursory reading of the contents page is instructive! The format proceeds more or less chronologically through the photographers who have made their mark in photographic and art history, contextualising them within the time and the place ( this is neither a Euro nor Americo-centric work) including illustrations of their work with extended captions, a contextualisation of the genre in the history and then a brief summarising "retake" at the end of every chapter, a "focus" page on a topic or a person, all the way to the stirrings of digital technology. It's referenced, with a good bibliography: I cannot imagine a better single volume introduction to photographic criticism and appreciation. In style, it's dense, compacting a lot into a small space, but nonetheless very readable: to dip or to burrow into with equal pleasure. A desert island book.

Needed this book for a Histories of Photography Class.
Ordered the 2nd edition expecting to see the cover that was pictured on this page,
but received an "imported version" with a totally different cover of the 2nd edition instead.
So far that's all that's really different.
Since I received something other than what I was expecting I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars.

The required edition for my course was the third one but this one works just the same.
Pages & order of content differ slightly, but the content seems not to have changed.

Actually quite easy for me to read in comparison to other history books I've read.
LOTS of pictures which I love :)

I had to get this for my history of photography class and I love it! It's a great textbook and a coffee table book. I bought the first edition, we use the 4th (I believe) in class so I thought I had to return it.. turns out the instructor said it's not much of a difference so I'm glad I got to keep it! Price was much more affordable then the college book store. Seller worked very very well with me. Quick and easy delivery!

Vendeor received and expedited the order timely and product arrived in great condition.This was the Gold standard of Customer Service.

This product was shipped and delivered on time and was in mint condition. It was for a class so I have only read a few portions so far. It is very informative the imformation is presented clearly in a chronological manner. The photographs and illustrations create a vivid understanding that compliments the written material very well.

Ordered this book for my Photography class but Never got the book ... packaged arrived without content inside ....very disappointed!!!!!

I found photography a Cultural History a very hard to read book. The author seems to jump from subject to subject and from photographer to photographer without any cohesive meaning. The chapters get harder to read as you move towards the later chapters, unfortunately. I don't see what is the sense to mentioning what a photogrpher did or said in a 2 or 3 sentence paragraph, then jump to another photographer and do the same, then jump to another one and do the same and so on and so on. Also, why is the photographers years of existence printed next to each photographers name in parenthesis ? This only makes the book even harder to read. I bought the book because I'm a photography student and the book is mandatory for one of the required courses, but if it was up to me, I would rather use and purchase "The History of Photography" written By Beaumont Newhall even though it is out of date. This was the book originally used in the past, but a few years ago allot of schools decided to switch to the Warner Marien book which I think was a big mistake.

great condition thanks

Photography: A Cultural History

An exellent source. The price was unbeatable. At school a smaller version of this book was over $100 and I paid less than $50for a more complete book!