Book Reviews

Vanishing Point: Fifty Years Of Photography; by David Plowden, introduction by Steve Edwards; W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 352 pages; $100; (ISBN: 978-0-393-06254-0)
Photographer David Plowden has traveled across America on a quest to document the surviving pieces of our past. His well-trained eye captured the relics of our ever-changing infrastructure from railroads, barns, and steel works to copper mines and even entire towns. This book features a wonderful collection of 237 duotone images offered in celebration of Plowden's 75th birthday. Vanishing Point will make a fine addition to your personal library so be sure to pick up a copy before it fades away.

America In Space: NASA's First Fifty Years; foreword by Neil Armstrong; Abrams, 352 pages; $50; (ISBN: 978-0-8109-9373-0)
This title celebrates the history of America's space program from the famous space race against Russia to the Mercury and Apollo missions, space shuttle, Hubble telescope, and the Mars rover. Each step on this historic road to the stars is documented with a beautiful collection of 480 color and black and white images. The highly detailed captions provide a wealth of information describing the dramatic events that were captured on film. This adventure transformed the world and it continues to spark the desire to see beyond the boundaries of mother earth. I highly recommend adding America In Space to your personal library.

The Complete Nikon Rangefinder System; by Robert Rotoloni, color images by Tony Hurst; Hove Foto Books, 528 pages; $99; (ISBN: 978-1-87403-177-2)
Robert Rotoloni's book is the result of over 35 years of highly detailed research on Nikon equipment. He offers 528 pages of information gathered from various sources as well as in depth interviews with Nippon Kogaku personnel and avid collectors around the world. The facts are highlighted with an amazing collection of 1350 black and white images as well as 24 pages of color shots captured by master photographer Tony Hurst. Rotoloni has produced a must have resource for all Nikon enthusiasts. Copies are available from Petra Kellers Photo Books, please visit www.CameraBooks.com.