Understanding A Photograph

"This new selection of more than 20 essays, edited by Geoff Dyer and including previously uncollected pieces, is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the power of this ubiquitous medium. . . As ever with Berger's writing, the theoretical is always informed by politics and a deeply felt humanity." —The Guardian

Understanding a Photograph gathers the photography writings of one of the most internationally influential authors of the past 50 years. The volume is arranged chronologically, leading the reader on a thought-provoking journey through selected essays from hallmark works such as "About Looking" and "Another Way of Telling," as well as previously uncollected pieces that discuss a wide range of artists—from August Sander to Jitka Hanzlová. This collection of some 25 texts has been carefully selected by novelist and essayist Geoff Dyer, who has also written a critical study of Berger's oeuvre. Spanning some 40 years, they include pieces on the 1967 photograph of Che Guevara's corpse, on the meaning of photographs on the shock effect of war images.