Time: Great Buildings of the World: The World's Most Influential, Inspiring and Astonishing Structures

Book Description

Mark Klett has been photographing the American West for nearly twenty-five years. He directed the Rephotographic Survey Project in the late 1970s, which located and rephotographed the sites of images made by William Henry Jackson, Timothy O'Sullivan, and other photographers surveying the West in the late nineteenth century. Klett has also published several books of his own work.

Using his travels in the Nevada desert with Mark Klett and his current rephotographic team as the starting point, William Fox offers here an examination of the history of photography in the American West and of Klett's role in documenting the landscape. Like the story of photography itself, this is a multilayered narrative. Part historical overview, part travel journal, part biographical study of Klett, View Finder explores the evolution of our view of the land from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. Fox looks at the legacy left by the likes of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Robert Adams. And in focusing on the work of Mark Klett in the last quarter century, William Fox reflects upon the meaning of the landscape at the beginning of the millennium. Because Klett's work has been so closely connected to the great photographic surveys of the 1870s, and because he has been so influential to a new generation of photographers, his is the ideal viewpoint from which to measure our changing approach to the American space.

Examines the history of photography in the American West and of Klett's role in documenting the landscape.

Customer Reviews:

This book does not include Klett's best desert photos........2006-01-04

The book under review gets FIVE stars, for its goal of spotlighting an American photographer. But the contents of the book was somewhat disappointing, and I think what is inside deserves only ONE star. In other words, although the goal of spotlighting a successful landscape photographer who uses a large format camera is admirable, it is questionable if the day to day traveling activities of this man is of enough interest to warrent formal documentation in a book format.

The cover of View Finder features an attractive collage of three photographs. As is common in many of Mark Klett's photos, one of them shows part of his body (a hand). The title, View Finder, is a clever one. It has a double meaning, similar to the titles of A.D.Coleman's photography criticism books. For example, A.D.Coleman wrote a book called, "Light Readings." (Light Readings, get it? Get it?). Klett's attractive technique of self-inclusion is also shown in a desert campground photo featuring his shadow (page 126). View Finder concerns a re-photographic proeject where the goal was to re-photograph landscapes originally taken by J.K.Hillers, William Henry Jackson, and Timothy O'Sullivan, over 100 years ago. Another goal was to take de novo photographs, e.g., with streaks of speeding autos or motorcycles, or with the photographer's shadow cast in the desert sand. Although most of the photographs in View Finder are not really attactive, they might provide some fleeting amusement or a momentary engaging distraction. For example, we see a road sign peppered with bullet holes, where the sign reads DANGER ROCKETS MAY LAND IN THIS AREA DURING TESTS. We are provided with a description of a "station wagon of indeterminate make and age . . . its yellow body is spotted with rust and bullet holes." The spotted yellow station wagon is photographed and cleverly entitled "Cheetah." (Unfortunately, the photo is in black and white. It would have worked much better in color) (page 102 and 116). We see a photograph of a roadsign reading WONDER, located in a remote Nevada desert (page 110). We see an attractive photo of John Wesley Powell's book, open at a drawing of Horseshoe Curve, sitting on the ground before the real Horseshoe Curve, Utah, with Klett's hand on the book's page (page 259). We see a photo of Klett's hat sitting on a precipice at The Grand Canyon (page 192). There is an attractive photo of 25 tourists watching a Golden Spike ceremony at Promentory Point, Utah (page 271). We are provided with a homey, attractive photo of a teacup (a TEAPOT would have been better) perched on the roof of a car, with Teapot Rock in the background (page 281). But then, there are photographs of trash (page 115), and more photographs of trash (page 164), and more trash (164), and still more trash (page 292), and a leaf stuck in a fence (page 133). By "trash" I mean actual trash. The trash pictures are not at all attractive. There is some commentary on Klett's fund raising efforts: "Raising money for rephotography wasn't always an easy sell. The NEA panelists groused in 1977 that the proposed "then-and-now" project was nothing new . . . and that it was light on art. Still they granted enough funds . . . (page 139). Pages 248-251 contain interesting info on the harsh facts of photography economics, and we are provided with a number of reasons why photographic prints sell for under $1000 (this would not even cover expenses, in my opinion). The book under review is 309 pages long. The photographs inside do the job of revealing the subject matter, but they are too small and of only moderate quality, and don't allow the viewer to immerse himself in the image, don't allow the viewer to find solace in the image. The main focus of the book is not really photography criticism at all, but to chronicle the daily life of Mr.Klett and his helpers as they motor across Nevada and Utah: "First, we had passed by the geothermal plant and found ourselves at an unmarked intersection in the dirt. We picked what seemed the most used road, and Mark drew an annotated map . . . "(page 11). To give another example, "Wandering up the short ridge to the kitchen to make coffee, I watch the sunlight as it works down Mt.Davidson and into town. Mark joins me, and together we gaze east at the floodwaters . . ." (page 218). In my opinion, such a detailed account of the banal, hour by hour, features of an artist's life is more suited to a celebrity, such as Andy Warhol, John Lennon, Isaac Stern, etc. To conclude, in view of the fact, at least in my opinion, that the book does not include Mr.Klett's best desert photographs, and in view of the fact that there are way too many photographs of trash, I feel that View Finger might deserve no more than TWO STARS.

I just purchased Mark Klett's new book called YOSEMITE IN TIME (2005). This new book is a splendid one, and it contains some interesting manipulations of what otherwise might be traditional landscape photographs. Another book to buy, in addition to YOSEMITE IN TIME, would be Kathleen Gauss's New American Photography (1985) Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This book, unlike View Finder, does a decent job at setting forth what appear to be the best of Klett's desert photographs. Gauss' book also provides an articulate explanation of Mr.Klett's photography. Ms.Gauss writes: "Klett demonstrates the contrast of time between the transitory picnic [an actual picnic] . . . and the epochal, geological age of the canyon . . . the ephemeral poised against a millenial landscape." Regarding an image of a U-Haul truck in front of a row of spires in Monument Valley, Ms.Gauss writes: "He [Klett] has . . . baldly used the truck as a device . . . to emphasize the striking disparity among the various elements . . . Klett manipulates the scale reversing his more customary illustration of the relationship between man and nature." Gauss' New American Photography contains 14 reproduction of Klett's photographs, including: The Grand Canyon (1983), Checking the Road Map, Monument Valley (1982), and Car Passing Snake (1983). The quality of the images is quite good, and one can immerse oneself in the images and find solace in them. New American Photography, if one can find a copy of it, also contains sections devoted to each of a dozen other contemporary American photographers, including John Pfahl, the creator of Altered Landscapes.

View Finder: Mark Klett, Photography, and the Reinvention of Landscape

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View Finder: Mark Klett, Photography, and the Reinvention of Landscape
William L. Fox
Manufacturer: Univ of New Mexico Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OM1NE6

Customer Reviews:

'A Life for Peace'.......2003-12-26

Bertha von Suttner is little known in the United States. Despite the fact she won the Nobel Peace Prize - and was the first woman - she is often overlooked. This book helps to inform those who read it about how she was instrumental in having the Nobel Peace Prize created.

Born into Austrian nobility, Bertha von Suttner saw firsthand the military buildup in Europe during the decades preceding World War I. She and her husband, Baron Arthur von Suttner, worked tirelessly for the cause of peace in Europe. Her close friendship with the inventor Alfred Nobel helped to establish a strong structure to the peace movement, with the annual awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize.

This book is an excellent reference to Baroness Bertha von Suttner's life. Syracuse University did our society a great service in publishing the book in English.

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Memoirs of Bertha von Suttner: The records of an eventful life. Authorized translation
Bertha Felicie Sophia Suttner
Manufacturer: Pub. for the International School of Peace, Ginn and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

War & Peace | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008D0CBG

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Suffragette for peace: The life of Bertha von Suttner
Beatrix Kempf
Manufacturer: Wolff
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0854962557

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Woman for peace;: The life of Bertha von Suttner
Beatrix Kempf
Manufacturer: Noyes Press
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0815550138

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"Ground arms!" : the story of a life ; a romance of European war
Bertha von Suttner
Manufacturer: McClurg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B00086VG1I

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"Ground arms!": The story of a life
Bertha von Suttner
Manufacturer: A.C. McClurg & Co
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0008888FI

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"Ground arms!": The story of a life,
Bertha von Suttner
Manufacturer: A.C. McClurg & Company
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B000872P3K

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Memoirs of Bertha von Suttner;: The records of an eventful life
Bertha von Suttner
Manufacturer: Published for the International School of Peace [by] Ginn and Co
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B00085HW58

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Peace is my message: life and work of Bertha Suttner (United world library)
Oskar Jan Tauschinski
Manufacturer: Osterreichischer Bundesverlag
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006C7CMG

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How To Say It to Your Child When Bad Things Happen (How to Say It...)
Dr. Paul Coleman
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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How To Say It To Your Kids

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Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0735203253

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How To Say It To Your Child When Bad Things Happen 6-copy Counter Displa
Dr. Paul Coleman
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Press
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0735290598

Book Description

1880. As a division commander under James Longstreet, he distinguished himself at Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg and at Chickamauga, where he won his lieutenant generalcy. In the Atlanta campaign of 1864 he fought under Joseph E. Johnston until Jefferson Davis, displeased with that general's retreat, made Hood commander. Hood fared no better against General Sherman and was obliged to abandon Atlanta. Hood pressed forward in his effort to thwart the Union forces, but in the battle of Nashville Thomas won the most complete victory of the war, virtually annihilating the Confederates. Hood resigned his command and surrendered at Natchez, Mississippi. General Hood's memoir, Advance and Retreat is one of the classics of Confederate literature.

Customer Reviews:

"It's All My Fault" - If Only John Bell Hood Had Said So.......2005-11-08

After his decisive defeat on the third day at Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee, as he rode among his men, was widely quoted as saying, "It's all my fault. It is I that have lost this fight, and you must help me out of it the best way you can. All good men must rally." If only John Bell Hood had emulated his hero General Lee and accepted responsibility for the defeats at Franklin and Nashville, history would have been more sympathetic. Hood's defensive memoir, titled Advance and Retreat, is remarkable in what is not said.

My copy of Advance and Retreat is a 1985 publication of The Blue and Grey Press. The first 68 pages provide a record of John Bell Hood's experiences up to the day that he reported for duty in the Army of Tennessee. The next 92 pages are Hood's detailed reply to General Johnston's criticism of Hood himself. The remaining chapters - Siege of Atlanta, Atlanta Untenable, Correspondence with Sherman on the Rules of War, Campaign to the Alabama Line, and Tennessee Campaign - are Hood's account of the disastrous period July through December, 1864.

The final chapter titled Rashness - Johnston - Fabius - Scipio are Hood's reply to Sherman's pointed criticism: "I did not suppose that General Hood, though rash, would venture to attack fortified places like Allatoona, Resaca, Decatur, and Nashville; but he did so, and in so doing, played into our hands perfectly."

John Hood was an ambitious man of great courage and valor that was promoted beyond his capability. The Confederacy was desperately searching for leaders in that summer of 1864 that could resist the inexorable Union tide. But how could any leader, even another Stonewall Jackson, have avoided defeat? Hood's tragedy was that he received what he coveted: leadership of the Army of Tennessee.

John Hood's surprisingly well-written memoir, Advance and Retreat, is mandatory reading for anyone that studies the Civil War. I strongly suggest, however, that you first read John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence, an exceptional biography by Richard M. McMurry published by The University Press of Kentucky (1982). McMurry is sympathetic, but his in depth analysis provides valuable context setting for John Bell Hood's memoirs.

For those who enjoy Civil War historical fiction, I also recommend the short novel, Nashville 1864, by Madison Jones.

Hood's story and his denials.......2005-07-02

John Bell Hood, perhaps one of south's finest brigade and division commanders, perhaps one of south's worst army commanders, his life is one of great irony. A classical example of a man who was promoted into total incompetency, Hood's memoirs reflects his thoughts and his views on his military career. He spent much of his writing defending himself and his tactics and strategies. His book may be considered to be one of your classical Civil War memoirs which was written not for history's sakes but for reputation's sake. In doing so, his failures wasn't his' but those of others. As one previous reviewers wrote, Hood retreated from the truth to make his case.

Nevertheless, the book remains quite readable, somewhat interesting and informative if only to see what Hood was trying to do and hope to do in retrospect. He could have been suffering from post tramatic stress syndrome as his actions seem to be more erratic as his wounds continued with the war.

Hood, the Gallant Confederate.......2005-02-26

John Bell Hood has been called everything from a gallant hero to a drug-addicted fool. The truth lies somewhere in between. MANY false truths have been all too easily accepted as fact by historians and Civil War enthusiaths alike, and I personally think he doesn't deserve such a negative stigma.
Most all would agree that hood was a better Brigade and Division commander than he was a commander of the Army of Tennessee (his stint as a Corps commander during the early stages of the Atlanta campaign do not show him to be one way or the other, due to the fact that any General can direct his men to fall back, erect Breastworks, and fall back again). However, part of this is due to the fact that as Hood rose in rank, time passed, and the hopes of a Confederate victory waned. Even Robert E. Lee himself would have been hard pressed to turn the 1864 Tennessee campaign into a sucess.
Hood loved his troops. It is an absolute lie to say that he did not care about his men's lives. After nearly every battle in which he fought, Franklin included, he was seen to be weeping uncontrollably, grieving over the loss of his men. The men of his famed Texas "Brigade" held a special place in his heart.
The book is not a straightforeward telling of John Bell Hood's career; the book is written from a point of view. Therefore, it tends to lean towards that point of view. What do you expect a man to say, "I was a horrible commander"? It is still a good read, worth any Civil War buff's time and money. It is especially usefull if you are looking to better understand the thought process of John Bell Hood.
To me, John Bell Hood is a unique Civil War soldier. He gave body and soul (especially body) for his cause, and whether you agree with the cause, or his descisions as a soldier, you have to respect him for that.

"Hood's retreat"...from the truth!.......2005-02-22

Although this book is very useful if you're wanting to learn more about Gen. John Bell Hood, the fact remains that it is a very bitter memoir lashing out against his enemies (especially Joseph Johnston) while fiercely defending his outdated, suicidal tactics that he used as an officer throughout his military career.

Even in his youth there were clear signs that Hood was not cut out to be a military genius. At West Point he "earned" 196 demerits and came close to being expelled. He lost 25% of his command (2nd Cavalry) fighting Comanche warriors on Devil's River, Texas, in 1856. At the Battle of Second Bull Run, his Texas brigade suffered a staggering 42% in casualties. At the Battle of Antietam, his division was virtually wiped out, with only 318 surviving. And then came his bloody frontal assaults he ordered against Gen. Sherman's army during the Atlanta campaign.

As if Hood's record wasn't bad enough, his Fall, 1864 invasion of Tennessee ended in total destruction of the once proud Army of Tennessee. First, there's the dismal failure to defeat Schofield's army at Spring Hill. Then there was the brutal slaughter of nearly 1,700 Confederate soldiers at Franklin. There are many puzzling questions about Hood's leadership at Franklin. Why did he attack with only two corps, instead of waiting for Gen. Stephen D. Lee and his 8,000 troops? Why didn't he wait for all his artillery to arrive before ordering the attack? Why didn't he order an attack on Schofield's weak flanks instead of his heavily defended center?

Gen. Hood wrote that the reason he didn't wait for the artillery was because he didn't want to risk shelling innocent civilians that lived in Franklin. This is ridiculous, however, because the two batteries that were available (only one for each of Hood's attacking corps!) for the attack were heavily used during the battle. This is only one of many times that Hood avoided the truth in his memoirs.

After butchering his command at Franklin, Hood led his army into complete disaster at the Battle of Nashville. Finally, Hood offered his resignation (it was easily accepted) following this failiure, but the damage to the Army of Tennessee had been done.

Gen. Hood is indeed a tragic figure of the Civil War, representing the badly outdated infantry tactics of the era as well as the careless bravery that so many officers possessed. Some diehard supporters of Hood stand by his actions and point to his unquestionable courage. But in my opinion, what's the point of being a brave officer if you place no value on the lives of your men? Overall, I recommend this book merely for the purpose of better understanding Gen. Hood's character.

It was Joe Johnstons fault!.......2004-09-02

A good narrative from JB Hood but lets face it..There was no excuses for the Hood ordered frontal suicide attack at Franklin! Most of his subordinate commanders including the great Patrick Cleburne himself advised against it. As the previous reviewer pointed out, most of Hood's book is in answer to post war charges from Joe Johnston in his own book. Hood himself stated that he felt the AOT was weak in the fact that they had become accustomed to the defense of breastworks. Take a look at the losses to the AOT in Atlanta as Hood orders them out of their own defensive breast works to attack Sherman's forces. Atlanta fell. It just got worse in Tennessee. Hood's glory days were in the east in the ANV as a brigade commander. It's a good a read and I recommend. Howevere don't assume because Hood was there, this book the final word.

Advance and Retreat Personal Experiences in the United States & Confederate Armies

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Advance and Retreat Personal Experiences in the United States & Confederate Armies
J. B. Hood
Manufacturer: Indiana Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V6G9XA

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