The Spirit of the Place: Indiana Hill Country (Hardcover)

by Darryl Jones (Author, Photographer), James Alexander Thom (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
A delightful book of photographs ably supported by text, The Spirit of the Place is a celebration of the subtle rather than the spectacular. Although Indiana cannot lay claim to sensational snowcapped mountains such as the Rockies or vast geological formations such as the Grand Canyon, her gently rolling hills stained with autumn colors and her creekbeds sculpted by winter ice possess a quieter, no less profound beauty.

Photographer Darryl Jones not only finds this beauty, but he translates it with breathtaking immediacy: a field of black-eyed Susans against a cloudless blue sky; morning light playing against a complicated pattern of rows of cut hay; sunset reflected in the ripples of a pond--this is the understated beauty of southern Indiana's hill country. Accompanying these sublime images is James Alexander Thom's lyrical prose, which tells the story of the places and the people who settled them. The Spirit of the Place is contemplative, harmonious, and profound.

Product Description
At Walden Pond, Thoreau found the setting which would inspire his famous musings on the nature of existence and the foibles of society. Jones and Thom take similar inspiration from the Southern Indiana hill country where they live and work, and in consort provide a beautiful and insightful meditation on the meaning of place and the value of community. 50 color photos.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253329876
• ISBN-13: 978-0253329875
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 11.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #693,889 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful coffee table book that espouses the beauty of much-maligned Indiana, April 12, 2006

By	DWD "intrepid reviewer" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Photographer Darryl Jones and author James Alexander Thom teamed together to make a wonderful little book about the natural beauty of the southern Indiana hill country. Thom's text complements Jones' photographs wonderfully.

Being a native Hoosier, I have an appreciation for the subtle beauties of the state. Jones does as well. Most of his pictures are taken in hilly Owen county. He captures every season, as well as forest, field, stream, farm, and town scenes.

Thom's text is part biography and part stories he heard growing up in Owen County. If you are a fan on Thom's other works, this one will be a nice addition. If you've never heard of Thom, this is a great place to get to know him and his motivations as an author.

I give this one an 'A'.