The Great Wallby Michael Yamashita & William LindesayReviewed by Dave Shultz The Great Wall is a fabulous coffee table book with fascinating photos of the 4,000 mile wonder. That being said, that’s not why you should buy this book. The book is filled with Yamashita’s photos of more than just the wall. It depicts life in both ancient and modern China and sometimes, they are not that far apart. The text by Lindesay reveals the reason for the wall as well as its builders and methods of construction.
The combination is mesmerizing. The details draw us into the culture that by human hands alone built a structure over mountains and deserts spanning 1,800 years. Nothing else on earth can compare and this book navigates every inch of the Great Wall as Yamashita and Lindesay share their wonder and devotion of this cultural relic. The book is divided into eight chapters depicting various geographic sections of the wall. Each chapter details the current condition of the wall, restored and otherwise, and explains the ancient culture that found the wall a necessity. The modern journey shows us a look at traditions and details of life along the wall. There are places where things really haven’t changed that much in the last thousand years. If the wall was transplanted to the US, you could start in Washington, D.C. and wind along a torturous route that would end in Wichita, Kansas. There are some stretches in the desert that are relatively straight but most of the wall follows the topographic terrain of steep mountains with some stretches steeper than 45 degrees. Don’t be tempted to only look at the beautiful photography in this book. Delve into the heart of China and enjoy the incredible history that brought us the only manmade object visible from space. You will learn more about life in ancient and modern China than you would have believed possible and relish the experience. The Great Wall: From Beginning to End (Hardcover)
by Michael Yamashita (Photographer), William Lindesay (Author)
Publisher: Sterling
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