Magnum Degrees (Hardcover)

~ Michael Ignatieff (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A 1947 lunch meeting of four friends proved to be one of the most auspicious dates in the history of photojournalism. It was around a lunch table that day that Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David Seymour--each recently returned from covering World War II and its aftermath--formed the Magnum photo agency. Since then, Magnum photographers, with their singular knack for capturing history in an instant, have been responsible for creating many of the most iconic images of our world, in both war and peace. Magnum Degrees is a selection of agency photos that illustrates the range of subject matter and imagery the photographers have captured over the last half century.

The book, which overflows with photographs and includes only the briefest amount of text, is arranged thematically to effectively highlight the wide scope of images even within a narrow field. In "Middle East," Larry Towell captures boys playing in Gaza, while Micha Bar-Am trains his camera on a Jewish man, wrapped in a prayer shawl, fleeing a smoke bomb in Jerusalem. In "India," in the town of Benares, Ferdinando Scianna snaps photos of an excruciatingly thin man carrying his dead daughter and two nicely dressed young girls frolicking in the water. In "Religion," photographer Abbas trains his lens both on a man reenacting the Crucifixion in the Philippines and a woman being physically moved by the Holy Spirit in a rural Georgia church. As some of the themes--"Refugees," "Child Victims," "In the Camps," "War in Africa"--suggest, many of the images here are powerfully disturbing. Others, particularly those collected under the headings "Trees," "Fishing," and "Architecture," are lyrically beautiful. Still others, like Martin Parr's photographs of tourists on vacation the world over, are witty and comic. Taken together, the thousand or so photos here capture the often surprising, always complex nature of humanity and do justice to the agency founders' original intention to "document the world as it really is." --Jordana Moskowitz

From Library Journal

Founded in 1947 by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and other eminent photographers, Magnum is an agency of elected photojournalists who independently photograph what they choose rather than what they are assigned. Arguably the best of their profession, their images can have a lasting impact on viewers, often combining a moment in history with carefully honed artistic detail. Compiled in conjunction with a worldwide tour, this hefty exhibition catalog contains over 600 color and black-and-white photographs by 69 Magnum photographers, including original contributions from Cartier-Bresson. Throughout, these images attempt to make sense of today's complex globalization while graphically portraying the suffering, devastation, and revolutions of the last decade, beginning with the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. More universal experiences are represented as well. Brief comments by the photographers summarize their perceptions, and historian Michael Ignatieff's introduction nicely frames the clear images--though the tiny orange print may annoy some readers. Recommended for general collections.
-Joan Levin, MLS, Chicago
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 536 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714838217
• ISBN-13: 978-0714838212
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #648,622 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great album, can be a great Christmas present, November 15, 2001

By	Emilia Palaveeva "ema-in-seattle" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This collection of Magnum photographs is amazing. The pictures are broken into differnet thematic or geographic categories--war, environment, famine, etc. While there is very little text and almost no captions at all, the pictures are enough to speak to the subject. It contains both recent photographs and old ones, becoming something like an encyclopediea of photography.

It is a beautiful edition, worth having and will make an excellent, classy present not only for a photography enthusiast, but for everybody.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Degrees of excellence., April 3, 2000

By A Customer

There are plenty of photograph anthologies available, but few of this caliber. Not only is the subject range impressive, the quality of the work is astounding. The section dealing with war provides a harrowing and insightful view into events of recent years, creating a sobering perspective of the late 20th century. An amazing book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best ever., October 18, 2008

By	Duane Ackerman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Magnum Degrees (Paperback)

In this book any page you turn to is an amazing photo. While the book is on photo journalism, the photos are highly artistic. Probably one of the best photography books ever created. Not only are the photos wonderful but the production of the book is perfect...great size, high quality printing, sturdy binding and pages, excellent layout and light on text but the text that is there is well written. This is a must have for any photo library.