A Vanished World [Hardcover]

Wilfred Thesiger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2002

A stunning photographic record of cultures at the farthest edges of civilization by the world's greatest living explorer.

Wilfred Thesiger's photography career started during a hunting expedition to Ethiopia at age twenty. Three years later he returned to explore the Awash River and photograph the ferocious Danakil, who were reputed to mutilate any traveler they encountered. In the Sudan he photographed the Muslim tribes in Northern Darfur, pagan Nuer in the Western Nile swamps, and magnificent Nuba wrestlers. The visual drama of Arabia's deserts was the backdrop to Thesiger's emergence as a master of the portrait. In that harsh environment he captures the striking faces of Bedu companions posing unselfconsciously for his camera. In contrast, tranquil images of reeds, lagoons, and waterways characterize his matchless portraits of the Marsh Arabs of Iraq, whose way of life has now completely disappeared. Subsequent journeys took him to remote areas of Kurdistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and finally to northern Kenya, where he lived for many years. This book is the summation of a unique and magnificent career. Duotone photographs. Duotone photographs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

So artful is his sense of composition, that this collection makes most color photography look a bit garish. -- Washington Post, Dennis Drabelle, 19 May 2002

The beauty of this...volume is to show how clear...his eye remained...capturing the faces and individual...character of people. -- San Diego Union-Tribune, David Elliott, 28 April 2002

The majestic summation of [Thesiger's] career. -- The New York Sun, Eric Ormsby, 13 May 2002

Thesiger [has] documented a world that has since been swept away by oil money and modern civilization. -- Seattle Times Intelligencer, Mary Ann Gwinn, 5 May 2002

Thesiger has given the world a marvelous record. -- Tampa Tribune, Kathleen Hipson, 26 January 2003

About the Author

Wilfred Thesiger's extraordinary journeys have won him the Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Burton Memorial Medal of the Royal Asiatic Society. He lives in Surrey, England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (April 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393050866
• ISBN-13: 978-0393050868
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,296,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Vanished World, Wilferd Thesiger, July 28, 2002

By 

Earl Hubbard (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Vanished World (Hardcover)

A Vanished World is packed full of true-to-the-time photographs of the peoples and places Wilfred Thesiger experienced and so interestingly described in his books.

Like the text of Arabian Sands, Among the Mountains and The Marsh Arabs, Wilfred's photographs are real and gritty, without special effects or photographic manipulations.

In these photos, Wilfred has vividly captured history. Moved by his authentic interest in extremely remote places, as well as in the people of those places, accompanied by his old Leica, he has served well those of us in the later generations.

A Vanished World is the perfect companion book of photographs to Wilfred's literary works. Wonderful.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book on the roots of Arabic culture, January 15, 2007

By 

Sandra Merlo "Book enthusiast" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Vanished World (Hardcover)

Wilfred Thesiger lived an amazing life; he was born in Africa, educated in England, and lived most of his life among the Arabs whom he loved, respected, and emulated. This book features many of his unique and thought-provoking photographs of tribes members in Africa and the Middle East. I spent many years as a portrait photopher and find his compositions, lighting, and photo subject integrity to be among the best I have seen. The text of this book is sparse, so a reader might also like to peruse one of his in-depth studies such as "Arabian Sands" or "The Marsh Arabs."

I bought the books so that I could better understand Islamic people outside what I read in the media. I was both humbled and elated by what Mr. Thesiger recorded.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, evocative, and raw., October 8, 2009

By 

Global nomad "S" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Vanished World (Hardcover)

My children bought this for my birthday knowing what a fan of Thesiger I was. But you don't have to be a fan of Thesiger's travels to love this book. The author's attempts at self-deprecation pale in light of the power of his efforts. The black and white photography is stunning and the contrast of humanity against the backdrop of such stark environments is fantastic. The subjects are raw, simple, and powerful; reminiscent of Ansel Adams' eye.

I kept this book on my coffee table and once saw my elementary age children leafing through it. The kids were enraptured as I explained Thesiger's travels through his photos. That alone was worth it. Highly highly recommended.