Life: Our Century in Pictures

by Richard B. Stolley (Editor), Tony Chiu (Contributor)

773 images selected from the photographic archives of Life and other major collections. Essays, roughly by decades, by H.W. Brands, David M. Kennedy, Gene Smith, Robert S. McElvaine, Paul Fussell, Ann Douglas, Todd Gitlin, Garry Wills, and Paul Saffo.

Genres: History, Photography, Nonfiction, Reference, Art and Photography, Picture Books, Coffee Table Books

423 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 1999

Reviews

[Terry Cornell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 'Life' Magazine collection of 20th Century Photos. A historical essay leads each chapter, but most of the book is photos with their accompanying descriptions. Most of the more recent photos and events were familiar of course. The older black and whites I found more fascinating. Also and the end of each decade was a review of some of the important people who passed away. A well done and informative book.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read another Life Book, Our Century in Pictures. It was very interesting history is and can be scary. Truly Pictures are worth a thousand words. Although the short stories accompanying each section are interesting. Onwards towards the year 2000 it got even scarier. Sarin Gases and other horror stories. Fell a bit sad.

[Lin]

Might as well log this one. Found it in the R/V Atlantis library and read during underway transit to our first CCE sampling transect. Was a good and comprehensive review of the century. American-focused (but that’s to be expected). Some really good Life photography in here that jogged my memory: Three Americans at Buna, the Vietnamese embassy helicopter photo, the Kent State shooting, Street Justice in Saigon. Really reminds me of how young a state the USA is, and how much progress has taken place (and still must as we continue to mature as a country). Also how much power lays in the hands of the US to turn the tide of the world.

[Peg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have owned this book for a long time, and finally took the time to really read the stories and photo captions -- informative, entertaining, a history lesson and a shot of nostalgia. Why did I wait so long?

[I A · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, captivating look at the 1900s via photographs. It made me realize how much history can be portrayed via photographs alone as well as how much history has occurred from 2000 to the present.

[Tracie Sneed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never get tired of browsing through it.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was excellent.
Probably read in the early 2000s.
Entered here in 2021.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once a lifetime pictures.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely dense, overwhelming, cornucopia

[Tammy Gifft]

A beautiful walk down the memories of the 20th century. This was a wonderful read and viewing with all the exceptional pictures!

[caeden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting for sure, but painfully whitewashed and full of pro US propaganda. Implied the Reagan era was the peak of US history.

[Tue Le · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of interesting history and photographs here. But the quality is rather uneven. Some of the captions are simply weird and needlessly roundabout. The best essay here is the first one from H.W. Brands, a respectable historian.

[Richard Crater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who didn't love Life magazine? It was a staple in my home growing up.

I lived the second half of this book, and my parents and grandparents lived the first half. The pictures, stories, and historical education was superb. I love learning about recent history, and this book didn't disappoint.

[Ray Savarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just pictures, but a lot of informative text also - adding many thing I didn't know regarding those pictures, the text really enhanced the photos, which were interesting enough on their own. Well done, more interesting than I expected.

[Russ · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the pages of LIFE magazine comes this wonderful compilation of incredible images of people, events, trends and more from the 20th century.

The photographs are arranged chronologically by decade. Each chapter ends with a roundup of famous individuals who passed away that decade, as well as a themed section.

The wonderful thing about photography is that seemingly ordinary moments become important and insightful years after the photos are taken. Many of these photos capture the human spirit, good and bad. Clothing, social trends, problems, solutions, pastimes - such things are shown in the photos gathered here.

Some of the photos are beautiful. Some are powerful. Some are horrifying. Some have more to say than meets the eye. All are interesting.

This is highly recommended for photography lovers (and photographers - this book is very creatively inspiring), history buffs, and anyone who wants to have a memento of the good and bad times of the 20th century.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overlooking the past and the times that happened before I or even my parents existed is something I really wish I could expirience. This is why Time travel should exist, simply to relive the greatest and worst moments of human history. This past century has seen its fair share of bloodshed and death, but also seen miracles and the simple features and whims of everyday life. That in itself, takes its role in the people of today.

We learn from the past and that can help shape our future.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of pictures. However, many of the captions left me with questions about the events they describe. I understand that in a book of this scope, the writers can't go into a lot of detail, but it was still disappointing.

[Jennifer Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just photos but loads of history and valuable information. Sadly many of the pictures reflect our darkest hours and moments of great atrocity.

[Linda Appelbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. Well documented. Nonetheless you have to be prepared for some terrible images. A sad but accurate depiction of what the 20th Century was.

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of photos from the 20th Century.

[Cori North · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating to see, and the variety of essays for each period was enjoyable.