The 21st Century: Photographs from the Image Collection by National Geographic (TLC Book Tours)

 

Do you love looking at beautiful photographs?  I know I do.  The 21^st Century is a wonderful collection of images from the National Geographic Society.    The photographic archives of the National Geographic Society holds tens of millions of images including 11.5 million physical objects in their vault and 50 million on their digital servers as told by Editor-in-Chief Susan Goldberg in the foreword.  She also has an interesting tidbit that there were no photographs in the first few issues of the National Geographic magazine when it was first printed in 1888.  When pictures were first put into the magazine, a few individuals resigned from the board as they thought it was so low brow.

 The goal of this book is to show our “shared history told through photography” of the last twenty years.  The start of the century has National Geographic photographer Robert Clark’s iconic images of the World Trade Center being hit.  These photographs will give me a punch in the gut no matter how many times I see them.  I loved the quotes from the photographers on why photography is important to them such as “Photography is a weapon against what’s wrong out there.  It’s bearing witness to the truth.” – Brent Stirton.

 This book is split into four chapters, each covering approximately five years starting in 2000 and ending in 2021.  The book is coffee table book size and has beautiful glossy pictures.  The pictures are from around the world of nature, ordinary people, and some historic events or people.  Pope Francis has an iconic picture at the start of the book.  Each picture has a short description with the photographer, year, and place.  I also like the “through the lens” sections that are interspersed through the book with thoughts from the photographer about the picture that they took.  There are brief bios of all of the photographers at the end of the book.

 Overall, The 21^st Century:  Photographs from the Image Collection by National Geographic is a beautiful book full of gorgeous images.  I find it relaxing to peruse through them and it’s a wonderful book to look out for company to share.

 Book Source:  Review Copy from Hachette Book Group for being a part of the TLC Book Tour.  Thank-you.  I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

America the Beautiful: A Story in Photographs (TLC Book Tour)

 

America is a diverse nation with natural beauty throughout. America the Beautiful is a coffee table book that displays the beauty with beautiful color pictures of the people and places that make up the United States.  There are 250 images from all 50 states and six territories.  The pictures are from National Geographics archives and span 100 years.  There are inspirational quotes from a lot of different people describing their state or territory. Overall, the theme is the song America the Beautiful.

 My son Daniel and I read through this quickly after we received it. We loved looking at the pictures and reading the short descriptions about them. The book is sorted into different parts of the country. We of course looked for Wisconsin right away. We liked the pictures, but only wish there were more for our state. Strangely a beautiful picture of the Apostle Islands said it was Michigan rather than Wisconsin. This bugged Daniel, but otherwise we loved the book.

 Overall, America the Beautiful is a wonderful way to tour America from your own home.

 Book Source:  Review Copy from the Hachette Book Group / National Geographic for being a part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you!  For more stops on the tour, check out this link.

About America the Beautiful

• Hardcover : 400 pages  

• Publisher : National Geographic (October 20, 2020)  

This glorious book of photography, featuring more than 200 magnificent National Geographic images of all 50 states, is a gift-worthy celebration of America's unique natural and cultural treasures. 

 America the Beautiful showcases the stunning spaces closest to our nation's heart--from the woods in the Great Appalachian Valley that Davy Crockett once called home to the breathtaking sweep of California's Big Sur coast to the wilds of Alaska. It also celebrates the people who have made this country what it is, featuring a wide range of images including the Arikara Nation in the early 1900s and scientists preparing for travel to Mars on a Hawaiian island. Culled from more than 130 years of National Geographic's vaunted archives, this provocative collection depicts the splendor of this great nation as only National Geographic can, with a dramatic combination of modern and historical imagery--from the creation of architectural icons like the Golden Gate Bridge and Lady Liberty to the last of the country's wild places currently preserved in our national parks. 

Organized by chapters focused on region (west coast and the Pacific, east coast, the south, and the Midwest) that are themselves inspired by verses of the original poem America the Beautiful, this book also features a moving introduction offering perspective on the country's unique journey. You'll also find behind-the-scenes commentary from the world-renowned photographers who captured this unforgettable imagery, and observations from the conservationists, activists, and historians who help keep America beautiful today. Profound and inspiring, this is a book for everyone who has ever marveled at the beauty of the United States.

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