National Geographic. Around the World in 125 Years. Africa Hardcover – 30 May 2018

These books are absolutely beautiful. I first saw them in my local book store (for the cheap price of £300; £50 cheaper than retail) and fell in love immediately, but couldn't afford them. 125 years of National Geographic from around the world; all the magic, captured in 3 volumes. The print quality is second to none - the colours pop and the contrast is great (this is what Taschen does best). The slip cases, covers and pages are also absolutely beautiful and of very high quality. The fact that the slipcases convert to book stands is great for viewing and increases the longevity of the spine. When I saw these volumes on Amazon for £226 I just knew I had to have them - they will be in our family for generations to come. As a single point of criticism, I would have liked to see more of Canada. Geographically, it is larger than the United States, but only 32 pages are dedicated to it (this including Alaska and the Arctic), whereas 202 pages are dedicated to the United States. Also, keep in mind that these books are HEAVY and require special care when handling.Unfortunately, I must add that I also had some trouble with the volumes when they first arrived. 3 sheets in one of the books were ripped and there were some ink splashes on them (it looks like it was a printing error). A second book also had a bit of glue splashed on a few of the pages, so they were glued together about 2cm away from the binding. Amazon quickly replaced them the next day, however one of the books in the new set had a folded corner on one of the photos on the back cover. The fold was not huge, but it bothered me; considering the price of these books and the fact that they will be on display, I wanted them to be perfect. The following day I received a third set, which is free of any problems. It looks like Taschen might be having some trouble with their printing process for these books, but Amazon must absolutely be commended on the way they are handling this. I don't mean to put anyone off of buying the volumes - they are absolutely stunning - and due to their customer service, I definitely recommend buying them on Amazon. Just be sure to check all pages (which takes a while!)

I'm not sure if five stars is enough for this book(s). I have quite a lot of picture books in my collection. Most of them by Taschen. But this one is truly something special. I've spent fiew hours going through entire 3 volumes and it was simply mesmerizing. Like travelling through space and time at the same time. And I already can't wait to go through it again, but now paying attention to as many details as possible, because many of the pictures are like little journeys themselves. There is no point to talk about quality of print because this is what Taschen do the best. And they're at their best once again. Volumes are big, heavy and beautiful. Exactly like they should be.It's quite expensive. True. (I was lucky to preorder it at £225) But it is worth every penny. It's the kind of book you'll return to many, many times - like your favourite classic record. Trust me. You want it.

Absolutely 5 stars for the books themselves. Just a word of caution: as sometimes reported on the US site, I received a copy with some page damage on one of the three books, which for a limited edition, at this price, was a little disappointing. They are very large books which need careful handling but I do expect them to be perfect. However, Amazon also deserves 5 stars for its excellent customer service, speedily enabling return and replacement. So, very very highly recommended, just check that all the pages are OK.

Gorgeous set of books. Slightly nostalgic view of the world with great National Geographic pictures. Large and heavy books, the printing quality is good, the books are well made.There is an additional version of 2 books with only the United States:https://www.amazon.co.uk/National-Geographic-United-States-America/dp/3836561557/ref=sr_1_5?crid=10S201N4LUQZM&keywords=national+geographic+the+united+states+of+america&qid=1567376158&s=gateway&sprefix=national+geographic+united+states%2Caps%2C355&sr=8-5

This was a gift to friends who are besotted with Africa, it's land, people and wildlife. The book didn't disappoint at any level. It's good from cover to cover.

I bought this collection ahead of its release. It was meant as a gift for me and my fiancee. I'm currently abroad and cannot comment on the quality of the contents, but judging from her initial impression, it is one HEAVY, really heavy collection, with abundance of knowledge and contents to explore.

Very good

No question this is the definitive work on the National Geographic Magazine. For those of us who have enjoyed this publication over the years this is a dream come true. The editors of this work had a mind-boggling task ahead of them in deciding what to include in these three massive volumes. With literally millions upon millions of photographs to consider I don't know how they arrived at their final selections. This set comprises 1500 pages and it could have easily contained twice that and still have left out many of our favorite images.A large number of the photographs are recognizably iconic images that have been included in other works devoted to the magazine. But never have they been produced in such a large format and with such stunning clarity. I was particularly pleased to see so many of the older images included. Doing so really gives the reader a sense of the formidable history of this legendary journal. There really is no publication, today, that is treasured like the National Geographic. I can't think of one that is collected to the degree that it is. Having been in the used book trade for a number of years I can't count the collections I have seen lovingly preserved by their owners. I have, myself, a complete run of this magazine dating back to 1910 and a full set of maps starting in 1935. I never tire of perusing those back issues.The production quality of this set is absolutely top notch. The binding material is identical to that of the slipcases and has a very sumptuous textured feel. The books are well constructed, tightly bound and attractively designed. The three volumes even come in their own attractively illustrated storage container. National Geographic was well advised in partnering with Taschen on this project as few publishers can match their experience and success in these monumental projects.This set should appeal to any serious National Geographic enthusiast, or lover of great photography, and is a must have for every institutional library. For the individual the price represents a sizable investment. But these are books that were designed to offer many years of viewing enjoyment and will assuredly open the world up to you and your entire family.

amaiging

How it is possible to explain what this book is if your answer to that question is yes? Three books, more than 1500 pages. A selection, probably the better possible, of photo by one of the most important archive in the world. Fantastic quality of printing. Even the cover of each book is wondeful to see and, more important in this case, to touch. I've in my bookcase a lot of photographic books, even a lot published by National Geographics, but the most part of this photos are not in any of it. And for sure not in this quality. It's expansive? Sure. Like anything so precious and beautiful is. More or less 100 euros for each book. But if you really like photos this is simply the best way to discover how beautiful they can be. My personal copy is the number 8.346. In the world remains less than 117.000 avaiable copies. It's, without any question, a must have. Hurry up!

An sich bin ich ja ein Freund von Sonnenschein. Kühlen Getränken. Liegestühlen. Wenn ich mir also ein Wetter wünsche, bei dem man sich am liebsten mit einer Tasse heißen Tees und einer Decke auf dem Schoß im Haus vergraben möchte, muss entweder George Lucas sich erbarmt haben und die Ur-Trilogie in der Urfassung auf Blu-ray herausgegeben haben - oder UPS hat gerade ächzend und keuchend über 20 Kilogramm "Around the World in 125 Years" an der Haustür abgeliefert.Dies soll keine Nacherzählung aller drei Bände werden, zumal ich erst auf Seite 225 des ersten Bandes angekommen bin, sondern vielmehr ein begeisterter Aufruf: Die, die ihr euch für unsere Welt, deren Menschen und Kulturen und vor allem auch für Fotos bzw. Fotoreportagen begeistern könnt, kauft euch dieses Sammelwerk! Alleine die Idee, den Schuber als Buchstütze verwenden und damit die Bücher materialschonend anschauen zu können, ist sensationell. Die Bilder erzählen Geschichten aus einer Zeit, die man heute gerne verklärt als besser bezeichnet, und aus Welten, die man selbst wohl nie entdecken wird.Wer der englischen Sprache mächtig ist, spart übrigens mit der englischen Ausgabe ein wenig Geld und liest schon vor der deutschen Veröffentlichung.So, jetzt muss ich wieder. Draußen wird es langsam dunkel und der Teekessel pfeift...