Customer Reviews

Sanctuary: The Temples of Angkor (Monographs)

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

 

 

Having recently returned from a trip to southeast Asia, and having the once in a life time opportunity to explore the Angkor ruins near Siem Reap, Steve McCurry's magnificent photos brought back immediately the intense experiences I had from my short visit. The reader will be amazed at some of these images and like me will ask, "how on earth did he pull off a shot like that?" Unlike other books on Angkor, the photographer focuses mostly on the people, in particular the monks and nuns, who reside near these beautiful ruins. I found the quality of the paper and the picture reproduction excellent. The only drawback is the small format of the book, and the lack of explanations of the photos. This is a must book for those who enjoy looking at beautiful photographs, or for those interested in southeast Asia.

I am a big fan of Steve McCurry. I have his book South Southeast, which is superb. The photographs here focus a lot on the place and not as much on the people. McCurry excels with people. The photos are small compared with South Southeast and the reproduction of the images is lackluster. I was really disappointed. Still, you get a good sense of the temples of Angor.

Sanctuary: The Temples of Angkor by Steve McCurry does as much justice with the grandeur and mystic qualities of the Great Temples of Angkor as can rightfully be done on paper. The only drawback is the relatively small format of this book. Nevertheless, certainly a recommended piece for the Southeast Asia history afficienado!

Preparing for a trip to Thailand and Cambodia I purchased many books related to these places. "Sanctuary..." fortunately arrived only after I had returned from my trip. Some of the books I own have excellent pictures and great text, but Steve McCurry's Sanctuary, with its great and mundane, realistic photographies made me feel back in Angkor. Angkor is one of the most beautiful places on earth and this book is the closer you can get if you don't have the chance to make it there.

It is too expensive for a book that is very small and slim. The photos can be better enjoyed if they are bigger. Some of the photos are excellent, but some look like the ones someone would take with a point and shoot camera.The inconsistency in quality is very obvious. The photos do not have any captions. One wonders in which of the hundred temples were some of the shots taken. I do not blame the photographer. The publisher of this book should have done more work. Mr McCurry is famous for his evocative photos of people, but in this book, too much emphasis is given to the mundane activities of people,with the temples often serving as a mere background. Although a few of the photos took my breath away, I will not buy this book, especially at such a high price.

Once again, Steve McCurry shares with us the splendor of places which most of us won't see firsthand. Each picture tells its own story. The work in this book vividly demonstrates the breadth of McCurry's talent. Different from his last book, this work should be on anyone's shelf who appreciates the best in contemporary photography.

Sactuary,the Temples of Angkor is an excellent photographic book. Steve McCurry has captured the most breathtaking shots of Angkor Wat and many other great pictures surounding the Angkor site. I really like the book and earlier this year i have added this book to my collection. In addition i like to point out a little mistake of this book particularly not by Steve McCurry himself but rather by the author of the introduction of the book. Mr. John Guy. As he writes 'Nak Pa',it is the belief of ancestral worship the local Khmer people practiced before Angkor era and still do today. This pratice is recognised today in Cambodia as 'Nak Ta' not 'Nak Pa'. So instead of 'Pa' is 'Ta'. 'Ta' is a word in Khmer also used to address your father's father which is your granfather. The word 'Nak' means a 'person'. So 'Nak-ta' clearly means an ancestor person, its a combination of the two words Nak and Ta. The word 'Pa' has no meaning in Khmer. However 'Pa' is used from the colonial period to call a father. It is usually used by high class people when french is introduced to Cambodia, mainly the ones who worked for the government. So clearly it is an European word for father. The word for father in Khmer is something else. But otherwise it is a fantastic book to buy for displaying on your coffee table as part of your collection.

Among the best available pictures of the temples of Angkor. Without gimmicks or tricks, or photoshopping, as the temples of the Khmer have stood for 12 centuries. The book is essentially a folio of photographs, and should be complemented by other works on the history of Angkor by Groslier, Jacques, Chandler and Glaize.

Sactuary,the Temples of Angkor is an excellent photographic book. Steve McCurry has captured the most breathtaking shots of Angkor Wat and many other great pictures surounding the Angkor site. I really like the book and earlier this year i have added this book to my collection. In addition i like to point out a little mistake of this book particularly not by Steve McCurry himself but rather by the author of the introduction of the book. Mr. John Guy. As he writes 'Nak Pa',it is the belief of ancestral worship the local Khmer people practiced before Angkor era and still do today. This pratice is recognised today in Cambodia as 'Nak Ta' not 'Nak Pa'. So instead of 'Pa' is 'Ta'. 'Ta' is a word in Khmer also used to address your father's father which is your granfather. The word 'Nak' means a 'person'. So 'Nak-ta' clearly means an ancestor person, its a combination of the two words Nak and Ta. The word 'Pa' has no meaning in Khmer. However 'Pa' is used from the colonial period to call a father. It is usually used by high class people when french is introduced to Cambodia, mainly the ones who worked for the government. So clearly it is an European word for father. The word for father in Khmer is something else. But otherwise it is a fantastic book to buy for displaying on your coffee table as part of your collection.

Steve McCurry has a deep and abiding respect for his subjects and this book reflects the passion he has for peoples around the world.
WELL DONE, Mr. McCurry!