Customer Reviews

A Vanished World

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4 star:		(1)
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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.

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.

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.

The photos in the book are beautifully reproduced. The richness of strange and exotic cultures, some irreplaceably lost through political upheaval, is apparent fron the photos!

some of his most remarkable b&w works from across the globe...keep it in my office of folks to pick up--very good condition