Aronson, Marc and Marina Budhos. Eyes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Toro, and the Invention of Modern Photojournalism. Non-fiction. Holt, 03/2017. 294pp. $22.99. 978-0-8050-9835-8. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 7-12.
Robert Capa and Gerda Taro are the focus of this look at the history of photojournalism, using the team’s coverage of the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s as a key development in the use of photos to document war. The narrative is quite detailed, describing the couple’s personal relationship as well as their innovative use of photos to describe battles and social movements. The text continues with more information on photojournalism during WW II, the Vietnam War, and contemporary conflicts. The narrative has energy and a feeling of “you are there” that makes for compelling reading. The book design is equally well done, using clearly captioned b&w photos on every spread, page decorations, sidebars, maps, and other visuals. The back matter is quite extensive with source notes, an index, timeline, bibliography, and several essays related to the information presented. Even adult readers will find this informative and exciting, with its covering of two people who are not as well known as they should be and a war that is still impacting our current events.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University, iSchool