Two Great Gift Books for the Holidays...
By S. Mark Rhodes
Aerial Photography is one of aviation’s oldest traditions (and a rare creative act associated with the practice of aviation) dating back well before the Wright Brothers to mid-19th century France where baloonists frequently captured the city of lights from above. This venerable tradition is brought up to date in this year’s Leave No Trace; The Vanishing North American Wilderness (Rizzoli/Universe), which is a great collaborative book by Essayist Roderick Nash and photographer/pilot Jim Wark.
This coffee table book is both a chronicling and tribute to the majesty of the North American wilderness. It functions on more than one level, being a work of breathtaking artistry (and an unintentional rebuke to the age of the Google Map) and also functioning as a call to maintain and preserve the ever diminishing American wild. Mr. Wark’s photography has some of the abstract mysticism of the best of Ansel Adams and if there is justice in the world this book will help mark him as a major American artist.
Model Bi-plane 1917; Maker Unknown (Courtesy Imperial War Museum London)Another book celebrating the artistic connection to aviation is Lest We Forget: Masterpieces of Patriotic Jewelry and Military Decoration (Taylor Trade Publishing). This is a work that has the very rare dual appeal to both the students of military history and /or jewelry making. Lest We Forget chronicles the lore and history of military and patriotic decoration including more than 150 pieces that date back to the American Revolution including early examples of the Medal of Honor, Civil War badges, and a number of French and English military decorations (to name a few).
Among the most interesting artifacts explored are 14k gold Tiffany earrings in the shape of Allied Bombers, an exquisite 1916 Airplane charm from Cartier made of platinum and diamonds, and a sturdy model 
Airplane Charm by Cartier (Courtesy Nick Welsh, Cartier Collection © Cartier)bi-plane made from brass, copper and steel from 1917.
Both books can be ordered through your favorite bookstore or online retailer. Lest We Forget customers can also place orders on the Rowman and Littlefield website at www.rlpgtrade.com, or by contacting their customer service at 800/462-6420.
