George Rodger: An Adventure in Photography, 1908-1995

As a co-founder of Magnum Photos with his better-known partners Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson, photojournalist Rodger covered World War II for Life magazine—e.g., providing the first photos of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Naggar, contributor to an award- winning photography book, chronicles his adventurous career. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

As the title of this affectionate biography suggests, George Rodger was as much explorer and adventurer as photojournalist. The British photographer was the contemporary and colleague of the legendary Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and David Seymour (known as Chim), with whom he cofounded the renowned Magnum Photos picture agency in 1947. Although Rodger achieved much less fame than his partners, he did enjoy a remarkable career. During World War II, he covered 61 countries for Life magazine. His adventures included a 300-mile escape from Japanese soldiers and tribal headhunters through the jungles of Burma. He went on to make important documentary photographs of African tribal life. Naggar (coeditor, Mexico Through Foreign Eyes), who had access to Rodgers's archives, provides remarkable depth and detail in recounting the story of Rodger's life in a lively, refreshing, and personable manner. As she recalls her visits with Rodger, readers also get to know the man informally. Illustrated with 30 photographs, this book will be an excellent addition to all photography collections. Libraries should also consider Bruce Bernard and others' Humanity and Inhumanity: The Photographic Journey of George Rodger, which includes more than 250 photographs.-Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.