Monday, November 27, 2017

Aronson, Marc, and Marina Budhos. Eyes of the World.

Aronson, Marc, and Marina Budhos. Eyes of the World. Macmillan/Henry Holt     2017  294p  $22.99  Hardback  ISBN 978-0-8050-9835-8  ms/hs  Nonfiction  E-BN    

“To see, to tell, to bear witness.  In a single image ... And show us all you have seen.”  Andre Friedmann and Gerta Pohorylle were two young Jewish refugees in the Europe of the 1930s.  Much better known by their professional names of Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, they were pioneering photojournalists who tried to open the eyes of the public to the dangers in Germany and to the Spanish Civil War.  They were determined to be the first to chronicle the fight against fascism and the tragedies of modern warfare, and their photographs went directly from the battlefields to the pages of the popular news magazines and the world's attention.  They put a “human face” on the horrors of war.  This descriptive narrative is an attractive resource, well researched and insightful.  The writing is cohesive and compelling in telling the ultimately tragic stories of the two subjects.  With a wealth of primary-source materials and photographs, the book ends with multiple appendices, a biographical listing of individuals and groups, a timeline of international events from 1929 to 2017, personal discussions with the authors, chapter notes, lists of resources, and an index. This is a must-purchase for all middle and high-school libraries.

Summary: This photo-biography of Robert Capa and Gerda Taro represents the lives of these pioneering photojournalists in spectacular style.  The descriptive narrative is an attractive resource, well researched and insightful.  The writing is cohesive and compelling in telling their ultimately tragic stories.


Capa, Robert; Taro, Gerda; Photojournalism                  --Susan Ogintz   

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