WOW.

That’s it.

Nothing more need be written. But I will. This is a truly stunning book from National Geographic. It’s the kind of book you want to keep out on your coffee table so you can have it available to page through at any given time. The title tells the tale – the book is a spectacle. It is full of photos that make you go wow.

It’s broken down into different sections; Chaos, Surprise, Beauty and Awe. The photos in each section relate to the titles tangentially. There is a caption explaining the photo but no superfluous words. You are meant to just enjoy the photos.

There are all manner of images in this substantial book from landscapes, to cityscapes to portraits to nature photography. Some are very straightforward others make you search for the subject and/or the meaning. All of them make you pause. There is one photo early in of hundreds of Christmas ornaments. At first glance you would think there was nothing special about a shop selling ornaments but as you look at it you are drawn in and it’s a truly fascinating photo. It’s one of my favorites.

Oh, there are Aurora photos. You know how I am about the Aurora.

I found this book to be an amazing respite from all of the things that I found overwhelming since I received it. Watching the news lately hasn’t exactly been happy times so when it was too much a bit of spin through Spectacle was just the antidote. Immersing myself in the beauty of these photographs took me away from all that was bothering me.

This book would make an awesome gift for anyone who loves photography. It’s a truly wonderful book that takes you away from the everyday into the world of Spectacle. ( )