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A review by ssindc
Of Love & War by Lynsey Addario
5.0
Well done, Lynsey Addario! Your book is ... (terribly) beautiful and poignant and compelling and raw and informative and thought-provoking and sad and awe-inspiring and ... and ... a fitting autobiographical retrospective on an ... impressive and celebrated career. Also, kudos to Addario for her naked and raw and self-aware honesty (which I distinguish from her insecurities, which, of course, drive many (most?) lifelong-high-achievers).
Frankly, I wish I had seen and read this book first ... or, much as I hate to say it ... instead of her prior book It's What I Do - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22571757-it-s-what-i-do, because, (and this is MY problem, not hers - but in the spirit of transparency) I spent much of THAT book being frustrated with ... and not liking, her (which, of course, takes nothing away from her epic and impressive career or work).... To be clear, plenty of other folks liked her first book more than I did, so ... go ahead, give it a try.... My sense, however, was that this book better showcased her work and brought together a life-time of opening the world's eyes to sights they otherwise would not have seen ... and it did so incredibly well, and efficiently, and effectively ... bringing together a perfect mix of large- and small-scale photographs, contact sheets, letters, hand-written notes, interviews (or Q&A's), and "clippings." Overall, it's a well-orchestrated whole.
In retrospect, I also regret that I checked the book out from the library - it was an impulse move - it was on my to-read list, I saw it on the shelf, and I couldn't resist... I then consumed it in less than 24 hours (which is saying something, because I spent a fair amount of time on some of the pages, pictures, passages).... I should have bought the book - she earned every penny - and, my guess is that I'll end up buying another copy and give it as a gift.
Consumer's tidbit: The hardback book is large and heavy - not quite a coffee table book, but closer to that than most mass market hardback formats. The extra size and weight, and the investment in quality paper, were good decisions, and I hope they do it justice when they (eventually) release it in a softer cover.
Frankly, I wish I had seen and read this book first ... or, much as I hate to say it ... instead of her prior book It's What I Do - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22571757-it-s-what-i-do, because, (and this is MY problem, not hers - but in the spirit of transparency) I spent much of THAT book being frustrated with ... and not liking, her (which, of course, takes nothing away from her epic and impressive career or work).... To be clear, plenty of other folks liked her first book more than I did, so ... go ahead, give it a try.... My sense, however, was that this book better showcased her work and brought together a life-time of opening the world's eyes to sights they otherwise would not have seen ... and it did so incredibly well, and efficiently, and effectively ... bringing together a perfect mix of large- and small-scale photographs, contact sheets, letters, hand-written notes, interviews (or Q&A's), and "clippings." Overall, it's a well-orchestrated whole.
In retrospect, I also regret that I checked the book out from the library - it was an impulse move - it was on my to-read list, I saw it on the shelf, and I couldn't resist... I then consumed it in less than 24 hours (which is saying something, because I spent a fair amount of time on some of the pages, pictures, passages).... I should have bought the book - she earned every penny - and, my guess is that I'll end up buying another copy and give it as a gift.
Consumer's tidbit: The hardback book is large and heavy - not quite a coffee table book, but closer to that than most mass market hardback formats. The extra size and weight, and the investment in quality paper, were good decisions, and I hope they do it justice when they (eventually) release it in a softer cover.