The Vale of Kashmir [Hardcover]

John Isaac (Author), Art Davidson (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2008

A world-renowned photographer's spectacular tribute to the land and people of this remote region.

The Vale of Kashmir celebrates the people and landscape of Kashmir and the unique way of life that has developed there. John Isaac set out to create a work that would honor both the cultural complexity and the breathtaking beauty of this exotic region. In lush color, he captures the varied details of daily life: canals crowded with houseboats and floating gardens on Dal Lake, the ancient city of Srinagar, the harvesting of saffron, Hindu pilgrimages through the mountains, shepherds on the Himalayan slopes, prayers at the mosque, and the private realm of family life. Isaac writes: "There is something very magical about this place." Here is historical Kashmir, not the country torn apart by war. This is an enchanted and enchanting land seen in 160 magnificent color images from a master photographer. 160 color photographs

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Isaac was a UN photographer from 1969 to 1998 and has worked with the Sierra Club and UNICEF. Widely recognized as one of the great digital printers, he lives in Bronxville, New York.

Art Davidson is the author of many books, including In the Wake of the Exxon Valdez. He lives outside Anchorage, Alaska.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (October 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393065251
• ISBN-13: 978-0393065251
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 12 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #420,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > History > Asia > Pakistan

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beauty of Kashmir and its People, November 19, 2008

By 

sirsmr (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vale of Kashmir (Hardcover)

The person who said, "Once you pick it up, you can't put it down..." might have been enjoying John Isaac's book, The Vale of Kashmir. Of the thousands of available coffee-table travel books, I'd be surprised if any could compare with the beautiful images of this picturesque - but remote - part of the world as seen through the eyes of John Isaac.

According to the book's cover profile, Mr. Isaac spent most of his career as a photographer with the United Nations. He certainly has a way with people and his work shows him to be a compassionate and skilled photographer who, in this book uses his incredible talent to reflect ordinary people going about their daily lives in a culture that seems even more remote than the beautiful place in which they live.

I've never been to Kashmir yet I feel as if I have because John Isaac has captured the spirit of Kashmir in his photographs. Although all the images moved me, some of my favorite images are the daily pre-dawn flotilla meeting of produce vendors, the natural-light portrait of a father holding his newborn son, a student's-eye view of a small middle school, people at prayer and especially the dreamlike quality of a house engulfed by fog on an Island in the early morning. All of the images in this book make me feel like I'm viewing beautifully produced versions of personal photo-albums belonging to people I've actually met in a place that's vaguely familiar - in time long ago.

This is a book that's definitely worth owning - and buying as a gift for those who enjoy seeing the world in which we live and the diverse people who inhabit it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, sensitive homage to Kashmir, December 2, 2008

By 

S. Coleman "Photofan" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vale of Kashmir (Hardcover)

Kashmir is one of the few places in the world where life has not changed a great deal since the middle ages. Photographer John Isaac made repeated, extended trips there over the course of a few years, and his genuine warmth for the people and landscape shine through in his luminous images. Rather than focusing on the political tensions that have recently brought violence to this disputed region, Isaac instead shows the beauty of the land and its kind, resilient people -- Muslims, Hindus, Sufis and Buddhists -- whose long history of tolerance and harmony is often forgotten.

A former U.N. photographer, Isaac has an intense curiosity about, and empathy for, the people he photographs. He investigates every aspect of life in Kashmir, from the floating gardens of Dal Lake to the annual saffron harvest. There are many stunning images here, but there are also quieter images of daily life in a place free of fast food joints, designer clothes and iPhones. We see fishermen rising early to cast their nets, craftsmen making richly-detailed rugs and shawls, and families preparing simple meals. It may be a cliche to say so, but the bottom line seems to be that these people are materially poor and spiritually rich.

In the book's introduction, Isaac says that whenever he told Kashmiris he was working on a book, they asked him not to focus on the problems between India and Pakistan, but instead to depict Kashmir's beauty. Isaac has more than fulfilled that mandate, and anyone who sees this lovely book will surely emerge with an ardent desire for peace, here and elsewhere.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soul of Kashmir Captured by John Isaac, June 8, 2009

By 

Whispering Willow - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vale of Kashmir (Hardcover)

This book is one of the true fine photography books published. The paper and inks used are far higher quality than those mass produced in China. As you may know, publishers only do that for the best of the best artists - maybe one in a thousand.

The book spans landscape to intimate portrait photography. There is a short series of a father and son within the book that is so emotional that one can feel the love between them. Each of his photographs draws the viewer in until one feels no longer apart but entangled within the setting.

During a talk that I attended, he told how he spent weeks getting to know small groups and specific families until he became part of the backdrop and his picture taking was welcomed. One of his photographs won a $25,000 contract. Although he had already paid generously ($20) for the photograph and gotten written permission from the subject, he returned to India and found the family again. When he discovered the holy man who had been the subject was ill, he paid all his medical bills and gave money to his son for future care. Listening to him, I realized that he doesn't just photograph people but uses his photography to show his love for them.

If you would like to see two galleries of his photos and the long list of awards that include an international lifetime achievement award, check out his website at [...] .

I hope one day that I can take photographs that have the same power and depth as his does.