Book Reviews

Photographs made from above the earth cannot help but stir the spirit and this book, including photographs by astronaut Chris Hadfield that were sourced from NASA and the CSA (government of Canada) are among the best that I have seen from high above “the Blue Marble” we call home. The images in this 192-page book are beautifully reproduced and cover everything from cities to geographical features to the swirls in our vast seas. After looking through the book I searched for references that might express in more poetic fashion what this book reveals, and found this from a book originally published in 1907 where writer Morley Roberts described his view from atop the mast of a sailing ship:

“There’s no such height in Alp or Himalaya or Cordillera as the summit that we stand on now… Below lies the world itself, the ship, and the world is nothing; here on clouds equal in grace to those of the nigh heaven itself, we float up-borne, and advance into the celestial air…” Morley Roberts, The Flying Cloud. London: Forgotten Books (2013: Original work published 1907).

This might give you a sense of what this marvelous book holds, and simply encourage you to add it to your family’s library.
--George Schaub

Author Bio Notes Supplied by the Publisher:

“In 2013, Chris Hadfield served as Commander of the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting the Earth during a five-month mission. Fulfilling this lifelong dream required intense focus, natural ability and a singular commitment to space exploration. During this mission, Hadfield enthralled novice space enthusiasts with his Twitter feed, offering insight into his life aboard the station. When he launched in 2012 he had 20,000 followers and this list had grown to just under one million by the time he returned to Earth five months later. Like anything this astronaut did, he excelled in photography, taking and sharing stunning images of our home planet - over one hundred of which form the centerpiece of; Earth, Spirit of Place. His celebrity took another leap shortly before returning to Earth, when, with the help of his web-savvy son, Evan, performed and produced a music-video tribute to David Bowie's Space Oddity aboard the Space Station. The video, which was posted on YouTube, garnered more than seven million views within just a few days. It even caught the attention of Bowie, who stated, “It's possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created.”

Where to Buy
Earth: Spirit of Place
Featuring the Photographs of Chris Hadfield
Edited by John McQuarrie
Magic Light Publishing (Ottawa) 2013
ISBN-13: 978-1894673686
Available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and wherever fine books are sold.