Bernard tackles a daunting task admirably by compiling this
monumental photographic testament to the 20th century. In his
introduction he outlines his objectives: to avoid historical
'icons', feelgood images or representations of a nation's
indomitable spirit; to present less familiar, more
thought-provoking images without overplaying the theme of violence.
Surely an impossibly tall order in the context of one of
civilization's most tumultuous and war-ridden centuries? His vision
is realized in six vast chapters, crammed with thousands of images
(mostly black and white) to stimulate the imagination and give food
for thought. Each picture is briefly captioned, with a broader
explanation at the end of the section. Sound bites from key figures
introduce each chapter - 'contemporary voices' which articulate the
mood or political/artistic events of the time. Inevitably political
figures and images of war and conflict dominate visually: a bleak
trench scene at the Battle of the Somme; a Nazi soldier lifting one
of many emaciated corpses in the aftermath of the Belsen
concentration camp; bloodied soldiers and civilians in Korea, or
Vietnam, or Iraq, or the former Yugoslavia. There are many nameless
faces: one of Leni Riefenstahl's Sudanese Nuba warriors; victims of
the Omagh bombing; and many familiar ones: Paul Cezanne before a
late 'Grandes Baigneuses'; Joan Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev in
rehearsal; Charles Manson prior to his trial for the murder of
Sharon Tate and others. As always with such a compilation, many
will complain about what has been omitted and Bernard admits this
is a subjective, incomplete view of the last 100 years.
Notwithstanding this, Century is an outstanding book, one to be
treasured, viewed and re-viewed often, if not to remember
absolutely everything that has taken place since 1899, then at
least to remind us not to forget. (Kirkus UK)
Before even opening this award-winning book, you are struck by the
sheer physical presence of Century. With 1,224 pages and 1,090
images, this colossal volume offers an informative, intimate and
incisive insight into the twentieth century from the very beginning
to the very end. Century is an extensive historical trajectory
through the twentieth century, told through an eclectic yet
exhaustive sequence of monumental photographic images. More than
any other before it, the twentieth century was one of unforeseeable
advances, discoveries and victories as well as unanticipated
atrocities and suffering. It was also the first century to have
been documented entirely through the lens of the camera. The
chronological journey of Century - in a visually extraordinary
sequence of images - takes us from the end of Queen Victoria's
reign, through the antics of Buster Keaton and the odyssey into
outer space, to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the news of
September 11. Assimilated from diverse sources across the world,
the photographs are instantly arresting and tirelessly
thought-provoking. Selected for their capacity to expose distinctly
human stories with the dynamism that drives historical change, the
tome combines iconic images with photographs previously unseen,
from international political events to highly personal and
anonymous vignettes. Each photograph is substantiated by a brief
but thorough historical explanation; every single scene is brought
to life by evocative literary and political quotations. Century is
as much an historical tour de force as it is an enlightening visual
celebration of the past from a vast range of angles.
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