When it comes to photography books I can’t think of any better than those put out by National Geographic. I thoroughly enjoyed their 100 Hikes of a Lifetime and the Atlas of the National Parks. That is why I was so excited to accept a copy of National Geographic’s America Beautiful from TLC Book Tours at no charge for my honest review.
About National Geographic’s 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.
About the Author:
One of the world’s leading nonfiction publishers, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC has published more than 1,700 titles, featuring such categories as history, travel, nature, photography, space, science, health, biography, and memoir. A portion of its proceeds is used to fund exploration, conservation, and education through ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society.
My Opinion:
One can never go wrong with a book full of photographs take by the talented men and women who shoot for National Geographic. In a time when travel is mostly done in our dreams a book like this is just what is needed to plan for when visiting is more open.
The book is separated into four chapters, breaking the country and it’s possessions into regions. It opens with the West and Pacific then moves to the East and Mid Atlantic then to the South and the Carribean and ends with the Midwest and Central Plains. I felt like I was back in the fifthwheel traveling around the country. It was such a joy to revisit some of the places I have been in these glorious photos from such talented photographers. I am sharing photos from the book from the three states I have lived in during my life. The first being from Montana; it is from Yellowstone – one of my favorite places on Earth.
The photos are from all different eras – not just from now. There is a stunning black and white photo representing South Dakota. You get to experience each state or territory with a glimpse into what makes it special but as the book covers so much territory it is somehow never enough – especially when you are looking for the places you love most. You want more. But taking the book as a whole is a very uplifting experience as there is so much beauty to be found.
If you have had the opportunity to travel around this amazing country this book will remind you of all that is out there. For those that are still waiting to explore the book will surely whet your appetite to get out and see the beauty that awaits.
There are also comments from memorable residents of each state expressing what their home state means to them. A state is so much more than the reputation it carries. My former home of New Jersey is a prime example; most folks believe it’s an adjunct of New York. They tend to forget the rural southern part of the state. Oh, they remember “the shore” now and then but still, it’s more city and less farm. But New Jersey IS the Garden State.
America the Beautiful would make an awesome gift for anyone who loves this country, beautiful photos and dreaming about where they might visit when things get better.
Rating:
5
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