Product Description
In 250 glorious photographs Wide Angle: National Geographic Greatest Places documents the beauty and depth of every part of the world. Delving deeply into a picture archive that houses over ten million images, with many photographs being published for the first time, this new book-the third and final in the "greatest photographs" series-presents the world's amazingly diverse places with epic grandeur, unparalleled intimacy, romantic beauty, and gritty realism. The photographs are landscapes, cityscapes, famous landmarks, and unfamiliar spots that reveal special qualities of geography or culture one might otherwise never see.
Spanning more than eleven decades, the images in Wide Angle are divided into twelve chapters, each depicting a unique geography—including East and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Polar Regions. Each chapter is introduced by award-winning cultural writer and critic Ferdinand Protzman, whose essays accent the stunning photographs by renowned National Geographic photographers. Both essays and photographs carefully examine a region's special qualities, creating unique character and its own special and unforgettable sense of place. In Wide Angle, National Geographic photographers have recorded the world's places close up, in sweeping breadth, in depth, and over time.
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 'Greatest' may be a slight exggeration
I recently got a hold of this book, and I think it slightly disappointing. There are, to be sure, a lot of good pictures in it. Even some great ones. But there are too many pictures, that just doesn't cut it. They may go well in an article with text and supporting images, but not as a stand alone display of 'greatness'. As another reviewer has already mentioned, the format of the book should perhaps not be square but rather rectangular of shape. Too many pictures are left less than spectacular from the spreading over more than one page, and that's a shame.
My biggest gripe, however, is with the name of the tome. Firstly, it is called 'greatest places', which to me at least, indicates geography and/or landscapes, yet there are too many pictures in here, that are simply shots of a person in an interesting situation. This is, if you put your beige trousers on (to borrow a sentencs of James May's), not within the theme of the book. Secondly, and most importantly, is, that this is a National Geographic publication. National Geographic is probably the biggest name in photography and it is a shame to see it 'sullied' by a volume this flawed.
That being said, I still think that it is a good book at 20 dollars. But not more.
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 Spectacular Photos ( bosckayell )
National Geographic has, of course, always been noted for outstanding photography. The book Wide Angle is certainly no exception. It offers 260 great photos covering every corner of the Earth. The book is divided by regions so the photos are grouped appropriately. Credit is given to the photographers, and the dates and places for the pictures are clearly indicated. This is an excellent book to go through slowly while perusing the photos at length. The skill and the vision of the photographers is evident throughout.
The book is a companion volume to two other National Geographic books - Through the Lens and In Focus. All the books are excellent.
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 Not wonderful
The pictures in this book are great. What I dislike, is that since they are at a wide angle, the pictures generally take up a page and a half. I feel like you are missing something when the middle of the picture is in the spine of the book.
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Wide Angle: National Geographic Greatest Places ( fernglen4 )
This book is informative, succinct, well written, eye-opening, full of surprises, and visually attractive at a reasonable price. It is a very worthwhile addition to a home library or as a gift for ages 12 to 112.
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photo book ( randallpeters )
I bought this for my parents for a house warming gift. It is the typical high quality photography associated with National Geographic. Only weakness is that being so large it seems to not be bound extremely well. Has to be handled carefully. Very good.
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