Book Reviews

Images of a Vanished Era, 1898-1924: The Photographs of Walter C. Schneider; edited by Lucian Niemeyer; University of Missouri Press; 192 pages; $49.95; (ISBN: 978-0-8262-1723-3)
Photographer Lucian Niemeyer recently made an amazing discovery. In a dark basement he found nearly 1200 glass-plate negatives dating back to the turn of the century. This collection was the work of attorney and avid photographer Walter Schneider, whose images document daily life in cities and rural towns across America and Europe. Niemeyer filled this book with 168 of Schneider's finest images and paired them with informative captions that depict a world in transition from horse and buggy days to the modern era.

The World of the Polar Bear; by Norbert Rosing; Firefly Books Ltd.; 204 pages; $45; (ISBN: 1-55407-155-0)
The harsh temperatures and dangers of the polar regions are nothing new for photographer Norbert Rosing. He has had plenty of time to become accustomed to the difficulties of working in sub-zero temperatures because he spent over 18 years capturing the breathtaking images found in this book. Rosing documents the daily lives of the polar bears from spring to winter as they hunt, mate, raise their young, and travel through the frigid landscape. The images are highlighted by informative captions that provide insight into the bears' behavior and their environment.

Antarctica: The Global Warning; by Sebastian Copeland, foreword by Mikhail Gorbachev, introduction by Leonardo DiCaprio; Earth Aware Editions; 206 pages; $55; (ISBN: 978-1-933784-19-9)
Sebastian Copeland is an award-winning photographer, lecturer, and environmental activist. His collection of full-color images captures the beauty of this frozen landscape and its wildlife, documents the long forgotten remnants of past expeditions, and brings to light the devastating effects of global warming on the Antarctic ice shelf. Copeland's text offers scientific facts about the rapid pace of global warming and the effect it could have on our future.

Big Sky: Wild West Panorama; by Tim Fitzharris; Firefly Books Ltd.; 160 pages; $45; (ISBN: 1-55407-176-3)
Photographer and author Tim Fitzharris brings us an inspiring collection of 72 panoramic images that celebrate the rugged natural beauty of the North American West. The chapters begin with a brief Native American verse and are divided by the type of landscape, ranging from the plains to the mountains, canyons, deserts, and the Pacific Coast. Fitzharris even provides richly descriptive text that sets the scene for each breathtaking shot. Together, the images and words will make this book a cherished part of your personal library.

Four and Twenty Photographs: Stories from Behind the Lens; photographs by Craig Varjabedian, text by Robin Jones; University of New Mexico Press; 136 pages; $29.95; (ISBN: 978-0-8263-4094-8)
Four and Twenty Photographs offers an intriguing glimpse at the work of fine art photographer Craig Varjabedian and his passion for the American West. Writer Robin Jones provides colorful text that reveals the story behind this collection of 61 images. Together they explore the creative process from start to finish and the wide range of emotions that are frozen in time the instant a photograph is captured.

Wild Amazon: A Photographer's Incredible Journey; by Nick Gordon; Evans Mitchell Books; 164 pages; $34.95; (ISBN: 1-901268-30-6)
Nick Gordon was one of England's top photojournalists and natural history filmmakers. His passion to capture and preserve the beauty of the Amazon earned him the nickname Rainforest Man. In spite of the many hazards of life in the jungle, Gordon spent years there exploring places few people had ever seen before. Wild Amazon was completed shortly before his death. The book documents the time he spent in the Amazon and the rich diversity of life he found there.