Product Description

A document of war and strife during the 1990s, this volume of photographs by the photojournalist James Nachtwey includes dramatic and shocking images of human suffering in Rwanda, Somalia, Romania, Bosnia, Chechnya and India, a well as photographs of the conflict in Kosovo. An essay by the author Luc Sante is included. The book is published to coincide with an exhibition of Nachtwey's work at the International Centre of Photography, New York.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #93931 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 460 pages

Customer Reviews

A heart-rending, yet beautifully-presented tour de force
James Nachtwey's war photography was never supposed to be a representative perusal of global conflict and suffering. It is consequently churlish to denigrate it for poor coverage, as in so doing one may well miss its accomplishment in being one of the most harrowing and important collections of images I have seen in recent years. Frankly, the introduction by Sante is badly-written and erratic, but more to the point it is unimportant. The images and their terse captions (presented at the back of the book) dwarf Sante's slightly ostentatious posturing. What sets Nachtwey apart from the majority of war photographers is the fact that each image - however horrendous or traumatic the topic - is absolutely beautiful, with tones, composition and perspective all keenly observed. Like Don McCullin, he seems to maintain the (I believe correct) idea that war photographers can do more to alleviate the suffering of their subjects if they coolly record without becoming directly involved at an emotional level. The images are therefore more accessible to the general public, who cannot experience the emotional charge of being present to witness the sight in all it's horror. Additionally, this decidedly purist stance has the effect of elevating images of suffering to truly beautiful, even magnificent portrayals that restore some of the human dignity that has been so cruelly ravaged by war and famine. All this said, it is still a hard book to read, and is guaranteed to shake you out of a complacency you never even knew you had.

A book that must never sit on a coffee table.
This is an astonishing book of war related black and white photography and in a saturated world of war imagery and short attention span it certainly has succeeded in arresting my attention. James Nachtwey demonstrates with a brutal honesty and integrity his disgust of some the ugliest pursuits of humankind. Its simple layout and design are wholly appropriate for its content and help the reader empathise with its plight. The photography is simply stunning and wholeheartedly achieves in delivering an uncomfortable message. Nachtwey's images are enough to churn the stomach whilst steering well clear of exploitation. Not an easy task today. I found Luc Sante's writing noble although I considered it a tad irrelevant as I believe in the school that says that good image books need no introduction. This book is not expensive for what it is and whilst it it denies some people access, to print it any cheaper by lessening the quality just to save a few quid would be a much bigger injustice. If this book is ever found on a coffee table then its owner really has missed the point.

Harrowing
To gripe about the fact that certain of the photographer's other works are not covered in this book misses the point. Inferno is a harrowing and moving account of inhumanity, and in that respect it is an important body of work. If the intention, however, is to draw this misery to the attention of the ordinary man, then it fails miserably since its high quality production standards, and sheer size dictate that it must be expensive. It is an impressive body of work that I shall look at time and time again, but the content sits uncomfortably with a product that looks and feels like an art book. Perhaps that is the point?