Sri Lanka - Hardcover

Sri Lanka presents a multitude of faces to the world. The Greeks and Romans wrote with wonder of fabled Taprobane; Arab traders plied to Serendib, lured by its gems and spices; European colonizers competed for Ceylon as a coveted outpost of Empire. To Tim Page, captivated like so many others by the spell of this magic isle, it is simply has personal Paradise. With an artist's eye and a reporter's instinct, this uniquely gifted photographer has captured the timeless essence of Sri Lanka in all its rich variety: the people and temples, mountains and shorelines, the age-old monuments and modern street scenes, the great religious festivals and the more private human moments. Here is a land of contrasts and contradictions - grandeur and simplicity, excitement and serenity, solemnity and playfulness - all creating a marvelous and irresistible diversity and recorded with the penetrating sincerity for which Tim Page's camera is renowned. While these splendid photographs bring the visual qualities of Sri Lanka to such miraculous reality, Nigel Palmer's text explores and explains the background and history, the natural features and day-to-day life, and the importance and meaning of the religion that forms so central a part of everyday existence. The result is a book of beauty and sensitivity that is informative, humorous and filled with unexpected delights - the perfect introduction to, and perfect keepsake of, Sri Lanka: the resplendent land. With 92 photographs in color. Tim Page (b. 1944 Kent) is a famous English photographer who made his name during the Vietnam War.