Powerful forces, powerful books

By Lauren Roberts

I usually go into the Beacon’s offices once a week to pick up my mail. Some of my colleagues enjoy seeing what comes into Reviews & Reflections, so I may spend some time opening the packages there. Doing that last week almost cost me these books. They ignited such lustful eyes that had I not kept them within my sight at all times you might not be reading about them.

100 Suns by Michael Light (Knopf) is one of the most unusual and extraordinary photography books I have ever seen. The “suns” in the title refers to the U.S. atomic explosions that took place above ground between 1945 and 1962.

You may think that such a thing could hardly be of interest. Wrong! I have to go into adjective overdrive to even begin to describe it properly: stupendous, horrifying, fascinating, startling, appalling, stunning, incredible, gripping. Photograph after photograph of these terrifyingly beautiful blasts fill each page; the only text lists the name of the explosion, its yield, location and date.

Atomic explosions are generally described as looking like mushroom clouds, but the diversity here is surprising. So is the quality, especially considering that these images were not intended for publication. “Diablo,” a 1957 Nevada test, conveys a cosmic sense of power and infinite space as it gushes outward, dwarfing a set of buildings down to the size of cereal box toys.

Most but not all the photographs are direct shots. “Dog,” an 81-kiloton explosion that took place on Enewetak Atoll in 1951, is chillingly reflected in the oversized goggles of its live viewers. But its greatest horror is the men themselves who are sitting on Adirondack chairs dressed only in casual wear, some in a relaxed posture, others leaning forward eagerly as if watching a film.

Approximately 90 percent of the book is black, an understated design that strengthens and intensifies its powerful impact. The front of the dust jacket is a surprisingly quiet shot; emotion must come from the reader. The backside makes its own statement, showing only a bright light in the distance as the foreground soldiers turn away, shielding their faces. It’s as if they cannot get away from it— and, in many ways, they cannot.

These images come from the archives of Los Alamos National Laboratory and the U.S. National Archives, many of which were previously classified and whose photographers were sworn to secrecy. Information on atomic weapons in general and test details is included in the back. 100 Suns is a brilliant depiction of the science of destruction taken to its ultimate level. It has my highest recommendation.

Another remarkable and powerfully designed book, Earth, edited by James F. Luhr of the Smithsonian Institution (DK Publishing), is composed of almost everything anyone could want to know about our planet’s life processes.

The photography is stunning, and the images range from large-scale (landscapes) to minute (seeds). Contents are broken down into five major categories — Planet Earth, Land, Ocean, Atmosphere and Tectonic Earth. Within each of those are further divisions and subdivisions.

While it does not go into detail about any one process, it does reach into the wide range of processes that make up each category. “Weather,” for example, begins with a general definition and moves into its subcategories. One of those, “Air Masses and Weather Systems,” covers factors such as pressure systems, air masses, front, jet streams, high- and low-pressure weather, mid-latitude depressions, tropical cyclones, monsoon systems and hurricanes, each illustrated with photographs and/or illustrations.

Until you flip through it, you simply cannot comprehend the effort it must have taken to bring this book to fruition. There is so much packed into its pages that this book might easily have overwhelmed itself. But it didn’t. Despite its astounding complexity, the information is efficiently and effectively presented, and its vibrant, abundant design points up the ultimate beauty that these processes create.

Anything you want to know about our planet you can undoubtedly find here, though any detailed study will necessitate going elsewhere. But for a solid overview with everything — beauty and brains — you simply cannot do better than Earth. It would make an outstanding gift for anyone with any feeling for or interest in our natural home.

Lauren Roberts can be reached at reviews.reflections@verizon.net.