AFRICA By Sebastiao Salgado Publisher : Taschen Sebastião Salgado is one the most respected photojournalists working today, his reputation forged by decades of dedication and powerful black and white images of dispossessed and distressed people taken in places where most wouldn't dare to go. Although he has photographed throughout South America and around the globe, his work most heavily concentrates on Africa, where he has shot more than 40 reportage works over a period of 30 years. From the Dinka tribes in Sudan and the Himba in Namibia to gorillas and volcanoes in the lakes region to displaced peoples throughout the continent, Salgado shows us all facets of African life today. Whether he's documenting refugees or vast landscapes, Salgado knows exactly how to grab the essence of a moment so that when one sees his images one is involuntarily drawn into them. His images artfully teach us the disastrous effects of war, poverty, disease, and hostile climatic conditions. This stunning book is not only a sweeping document of Africa but an homage to the continent's history, people, and natural phenomena.

LIVING AFRICA By Steve Bloom Publisher : Thames & Hudson In this new book, Steve Bloom expresses, as no photographer has ever done, the essence and the diversity of this gigantic continent. From the tallest sand dunes in the world in the Namibian desert to the lush green wetlands of Botswana's Okavango Delta, from the swirling markets of Zanzibar to the windswept rocks and gullies of South Africa's Table Mountain, he captures the colors and cultures of Africa today. More than 200 photographs of Africa's peoples and wildlife perfectly encapsulate the vibrancy of tribal traditions and the beauty of the landscape. Here are Mozambican miners who endure harsh working conditions nearly two miles underground; Ndebele women running community workshops; Surma and Mursi women with giant plates in their lips; and many others across the continent, north, south, east, and west. Alongside these stories of human fortitude and stamina, there are awe-inspiring photographs of African wildlife: cheetahs, their coats a blur of color against the sun-bleached background; vast flocks of birds scattered across bright blue skies; and herds of zebras gathered in the African moonlight. 200+ color photographs.

		PETER BEARD By Nejma Beard Publisher : Taschen The artist: Born in New York City, Peter Beard (born 1938) began keeping diaries and taking photographs as an adolescent. After graduating from Yale, he developed a keen interest in Africa; in the early 1960s he worked at Kenya's Tsavo National Park, during which time he photographed and documented the demise of over 35,000 elephants and published his first book, The End of the Game. His first show at Blum Helman Gallery came in 1975, and was followed in 1977 by the landmark installation of elephant carcasses, burned diaries, taxidermy, African artifacts, books and personal memorabilia at New York's International Center for Photography. In addition to creating original artwork, Beard has also worked as a fashion photographer and collaborated on projects with Andy Warhol, Andrew Wyeth, Richard Lindner, Terry Southern, Truman Capote, and Francis Bacon. In 1996, shortly after Beard was trampled by an elephant, his first major retrospective opened at the Centre National de la Photographie in Paris, France, followed by others in Berlin, London, Toronto, Madrid, Milan, Tokyo, and Vienna. He now lives in New York City, Montauk Point, and Kenya with his wife Nejma and daughter Zara.

ON THIS EARTH By Nick Brant Publisher : Chronicle Books Nick Brandt depicts the animals of East Africa with an intimacy and artistry unmatched by other photographers who choose wildlife as their subject. He creates these majestic sepia and blue-tone photos contrasting moments of quintessential stillness with bursts of dramatic action by engaging with these creatures on an exceptionally intimate level, without the customary use of a telephoto lens. Evocative of classical art, from dignified portraits to sweeping natural tableaux, Brandt's images artfully and simply capture animals in their natural states of being. With a foreword by Alice Sebold and an introduction by Jane Goodall, On This Earth is a gorgeous portfolio of some of the last wild animals and a heartfelt elegy to a vanishing world.

		MANDELA : THE AUTHORIZED PORTRAIT Authors : Desmond Tutu, Bill Clinton Publisher : Andrews McMeel Publishing Mandela: The Authorized Portrait celebrates the courage, determination, and remarkable humanity of a great man and chronicles his extraordinary contribution to humankind. This richly designed portrait features a foreword by former U.S. president Bill Clinton and an introduction by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It is illustrated with 250 images and features material taken from private collections as well as the Nelson Mandela Foundation archive¿some of it published here for the first time. Mandela: The Authorized Portrait features artifacts and facsimiles of Mandela's voluminous writings and correspondence¿written records of his negotiations with the prison authorities, intimate letters to his family and friends during his imprisonment, and material from Mandela's personal diaries and calendars. Mandela: The Authorized Portrait is one of the most lavishly illustrated and comprehensive tributes to Nelson Mandela's life and work ever produced.