Inferno.

NACHTWEY, James; Introduction by Luc Sante.

Item Number: 47465

New York: Phaidon Press, 1999.

First edition of the photojournalist’s second book, a searing chronicle of global conflict by “the leading war photographer of today” (Parr & Badger II). Thick folio, original black cloth, illustrated throughout with 382 photographs. Signed by photographer on the title page as follows, “To all the people who open up their hearts to feel James Nachtwey.” Introduction by Luc Sante. In fine condition. Laid in is an original lecture notice given by the photographer.

Five-time recipient of the Robert Capa Gold Medal, Magnum photographer James Nachtwey “must be considered the leading war photographer of today, and not simply because he has covered so many of the world’s recent conflicts… Nachtwey’s reputation is due not simply to his longevity, but because of the quality of his brutally compassionate photographs” (Parr & Badger II:254). Inferno, Nachtwey’s second book and his first in over ten years, presents unforgettable images of war, famine and loss in areas such as Romania, Bosnia, Rwanda and Kosovo. To Richard Avedon Inferno is undeniably “the most painful and beautiful book in the history of photography.” “In Nachtwey’s photographs, the boundary between living and dead is slim. The line between ecstasy and grief is almost invisible… You have to look very closely at these photographs” (New York Times).