C. S. Lewis: Images of His World

by Douglas R. Gilbert, Clyde S Kilby

This reissue of a treasured classic offers a beautiful window into the people and places that shaped the life of beloved author, scholar, and apologist C. S. Lewis. In photographs and text (much of it in Lewis's own words), Douglas Gilbert and Clyde S. Kilby introduce us to such memorable friends as J. R. R. Tolkien and transport us to such magical places as the deer park outside Lewis's rooms at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Christianity, Literature

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is almost the book I wanted to write. It covers the places CS Lewis lived and visited including my most especial interest his walking tours.
Talk about “sehnsucht” (longing). This book makes me long to see these places and if I don’t get to see them here on Earth I expect to see them in the new Earth. Lewis always pointed us onward and upward and these are the places God used to correct his vision.

I read the 1979 edition of the book.

[Kevin Thumpston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up this gem at an estate sale. Lots of photos and great commentary on Lewis' wanderings and walks, especially with Barfield, Harwood and Field on a 50 mile hike from Dunster to Challacombe in 1930. Lewis' love of Nature is saturated his imagination and writing. This book gives you a glimpse into the landscapes of England, Ireland Wales and Scotland the sparked his inspiration.

"No man would find an abiding strangeness in the moon unless he were the sort of man who could find it in his own back garden" - C. S. Lewis

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this book and want to thank Cindy Rollins for her review of it that made me originally pick it up.
It is like walking around all the haunts of someone you admire and seeing a time capsule and also seeing the places and people that influenced them.
I am reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis at the same time as looking through this and find the two books compliment each other wonderfully.

[Chad Oberholtzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read books by C.S. Lewis and about C.S. Lewis throughout my adult life, and though I'm hardly a Lewis scholar, I feel reasonably well informed about the shaping events and influential people who were part of Lewis becoming arguably the most significant Christian author of the 20th-century. When I stumbled upon "C.S. Lewis: Images of His World," I hoped this might be an interesting look into the people and places that I had previously only known by written description, and it met and even exceeded those expectations.

The book begins with an essay describing Lewis' conversion from atheist to Christian. This information has been well documented and more thoroughly addressed elsewhere, most helpfully in Devin Brown's excellent "A Life Observed" and in the delightful film "The Most Reluctant Convert." What brings "C.S. Lewis: Images of His World" to life is not the text but the pictures. And its comprehensive visual representation of Lewis's life is enlightening and captivating, helping readers like myself with little familiarity of Oxford and the English countryside that Lewis so loved. And every significant person in Lewis's life appears in the book, helping to put a face with both famous and unknown names.

Admittedly, there were a handful of pictures that looked to me like rather dreary and depressing shots of lifeless, soggy England, but I suppose that's probably a representative portrayal of what Lewis would have seen and encountered as he walked through his various stomping grounds. All in all, this book doesn't break any new ground or share any shocking insights into the life of C.S. Lewis. It simply allows us to see and experience what he saw and experienced and often wrote about, helping us readers to better understand his point of view. This isn't a life changer, and it's certainly not where I'd encourage the Lewis novice to start if they want to get to know the man. You're better off just reading a few of his books for that purpose. But to those who have encountered Lewis through the written word, I'm happy to recommend this helpful accessory to bring visual clarity from his world. I'm glad I discovered it and expect to refer to it again down the road as I revisit the life of one of my foremost spiritual and literary mentors and influences.

[James Eckblad · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I need to escape to a world that simply enfolds and delights me, and to do so with dispatch, I pull down this book.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this is a photographic treatment of Lewis' life, illustrating the towns, universities, and pubs wherein he lived, along with some biographical exposition as extended captions. Personalities central to Lewis' life appear here, like his wife Joy, his stepsons, and of course his numerous colleague and fellow writers, namely Tolkien. There are also unexpected supporting characters like his long-term gardener. The latter inspired a character in The Silver Chair, and the book smartly combines letters or biographical narration about Lewis' life with photographs. A photograph of several young Cambridge students cycling down High Street is the backdrop for a letter in which Lewis details an early social outing, getting together for 'brekker' before pedaling off through town. Similarly, his recollection of the many ferry trips from Ireland to boarding schools in England is accompanied by a large photograph of two boys crossing the same ferry, looking at the approaching coast in anticipation. These shots of others, while illustrating Lewis' life, don't appear staged; there's at least one fellow on a bicycle who didn't look pleased at all to find a camera aiming in his general direction, though the intended subject was the street. There are also photographs of Lewis' earliest creativity, of his schoolboy notebooks filled with the history of "Animal-Land", accompanied by little drawings. I've been meaning to enjoy this book in full for a few months now, as I often glance inside it while shelving just to savor the photographs of Cambridge, Oxford, and the Irish countryside. Many of the photographs are only greyscale, but even so they're delightful. As someone who has read and enjoyed thoroughly his autobiography, I am grateful to have discovered this piece.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.S.Lewis Images of His World, Douglas Gilbert & Clyde S. Kilby

This is an awesome coffee table book for fans of C.S. Lewis, like me. After a brief prologue going over his conversion from atheism to Christianity, which is what he is best known for, the book displays various pictures from his life and of the different places he'd been to school and worked over the years. Family photos, pictures of friends, teachers, colleagues with brief captions and stories of their relationships. Pictures of houses, streets, colleges, and personal walking paths in Ireland, England and Scotland where he'd lived and traveled to in his lifetime. Not all of the pictures are old. Some are just he scenic views he would've witnessed in his day. Also included are pictures of some of his notes and drawings that he'd made for different stories. At the end a timeline is laid out of his life highlighting pivotal personal moments and publications of some of his works from his birth to his death. Refreshing light reading and excellent pictures. Probably nobody but Lewis fans would be interested, but I recommend it anyway.

[Micah Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, enlightening, and delightful.

I recommend this to any serious, serial reader of Lewis.

I found at least a half dozen times that the author/photographer has captured what almost certainly is the inspiration for a certain scene for this book or that. Not much could put even more flesh on the bones of Lewis for me than that. Further, this work is from close enough to Lewis’ own time that it really has the feel of observing him in situ, an experience lacking in most of the later biographical works I’ve read on Lewis.

I plan to reread and frequently look through excellent resource to Lewis fans.

[Iamthird · Rating 5 out of 5]

pg 16 "Because, replied Lewis, in spite of fits of occasional depression he was pleased with life and having a good time. Nor did he feel that being an atheist relived him of all moral responsibility to himself and his community. These are things we owe to our manhood and dignity, quite apart from belief in gods."

p 22 "It is not your business to succeed but to do right: when you have done so, the rest lies with God." That was henceforth to be his attitude as a writer, as a teacher, as the member of a household, and in his private life."

[Othy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really beautiful book. The pictures are a little old, but they're great. Most pictures have a short description of the person or place. I found it perfect as a companion to the CS Lewis biography I was reading.

There is, however, an earlier version (1973) that is both harder to find and that has more pictures. I'd love to see it, as at the end of the 2005 edition the text seems to get wayward and less focused. I wonder if the earlier edition is more focused.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book contains interesting information, excellent quotes and beautiful pictures, it sometimes felt disjointed. Like looking through pictures with someone and they randomly give you the background on them. The narrative wasn't quite that random, there was order, but still, more random than I would have liked. Overall, it was a pleasant experience reading Lewis's words and more about his experiences and life. The timeline of his life at the book is one of the most valuable chapters.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of photographs, many (all?) from the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, offers some idea of the visual impressions that shaped Lewis's imagination. This book will make you plan a walking tour in the British Isles.

[Jamie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Photo Essay on the life of C.S. Lewis. Useful information and makes the land of Lewis come alive. It provides a backdrop for Narnia

[Amanda Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read and full colour photos on many pages, showing Oxford and Cambridge universities, and the other places where Lewis lived and worked

[Cynthia Coronado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book for all CS Lewis fans! Plenty to read but also just enjoy looking at the photos.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic overview of the world CS Lewis lived in. Excellent photos and text combine to bring his story to life.

[Jan Salvilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's interesting to see what C.S. Lewis saw in his everyday life. The photobook was filled with images of Oxford, his family, his friends and most especially the forests which inspired Lewis so much.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Created a decade or so after his death, this book of images of Lewis’ surroundings and friends is a marvellous glimpse into his world. I was particularly struck by his descriptions of the countryside he vacationed in, proving that Lewis truly was a nature lover. Delightful!

[Peter Holford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - it is somewhat classic. The photographs aren't as 'perfect' as the coffee table book 'The Inklings' but the text is notably superior. It draws a great deal more content from Lewis's writings as well as more archival photographs. Because it was originally published in 1973, just ten years after Lewis's death, there is also more input from his contemporaries. It includes a helpful chronology of Lewis's life, providing an oversight of his publications.

Among the quotations that stand out to me, include the following:
Lewis: "It is not your business to succeed but to do right; when you have done so, the rest lies with God"
Lewis: "I number it among my blessings that my father had no car"
Roger Lancelyn Green: "his lectures were for some years the most popular in Oxford ... Many students attended the same course of lectures more than once for the fascination of what he told ..."

[Katie Voss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this in the children's biography section at the library, but it's definitely geared more towards adults. The first dozen-or-so pages of the book is a sort of timeline of Lewis' life and journey back to God. This was some of the most fascinating content, in spite of the rest of the book being filled with photographs. I found there were far too many photographs of buildings for my taste. Never having the opportunity to visit Europe myself, they didn't mean much to me, especially since many of them were varying views from college office windows. The photos of people in his life, however, were wonderful and greatly appreciated. This would make a pleasant coffee table book, or for loyal readers, just an enjoyable new view into the life of a beloved author.

[Nerdette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent illustrations; not in the sense of technical quality (which is rather the outmoded kind), but in the accomplishment of their purpose, to capture the essence of Lewis and his extraordinary life. Also contains a surprising amount of text, including a great portion of quotes and exerpts by Lewis himself. Ah, here is a good way to sum up this book; photographs, illustrations and text, it's altogether like exploring Narnia's motherland. Wonderful.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great pics that tell the story of Lewis's life in snapshots. The text is brief and serves more like extended captions.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had many photos of CS Lewis life and his many colleagues - it was a good addition to the other book I just finished.

[Huntley Cooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a walk in the English countryside.