The Vale of Kashmir

by John Isaac

The Vale of Kashmir celebrates the people and landscape of Kashmir and the unique way of life that has developed there. John Isaac set out to create a work that would honor both the cultural complexity and the breathtaking beauty of this exotic region. In lush color, he captures the varied details of daily life: canals crowded with houseboats and floating gardens on Dal Lake, the ancient city of Srinagar, the harvesting of saffron, Hindu pilgrimages...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393065251
• ISBN13: 9780393065251
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 3.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 12.0" x 11.1"

Customer Reviews

Amazing photos, book and photographer

I recently met John in Austin TX. What a treat! He explained how and why he created the book. One story that he told me was how he spent weeks getting to know people and was then allowed to photograph them. John's photos have effected foreign policy and the fate of thousands of people. Well composed photos and wonderful use of color makes this book something special in my library and a book that I will cherish for years.

A treasure to keep, and to share

A fabulous book of photography that captures the pristine grandeur of this little-known land. The photographs depict the breathtaking, often dreamlike, landscape. They also invite you to have an intimate look at local daily life; you feel as if invited into one of those rooms to share smiles and a cup of tea that warm your body and soul. The photographs collected here are sheer visual poetry, reflecting the deep affection this compassionate and sensitive photographer holds towards the people and the land of Kashmir. A rare treasure to keep, and to share. The book had a profoundly calming effect on me.

A beautiful, sensitive homage to Kashmir

Kashmir is one of the few places in the world where life has not changed a great deal since the middle ages. Photographer John Isaac made repeated, extended trips there over the course of a few years, and his genuine warmth for the people and landscape shine through in his luminous images. Rather than focusing on the political tensions that have recently brought violence to this disputed region, Isaac instead shows the beauty of the land and its kind, resilient people -- Muslims, Hindus, Sufis and Buddhists -- whose long history of tolerance and harmony is often forgotten. A former U.N. photographer, Isaac has an intense curiosity about, and empathy for, the people he photographs. He investigates every aspect of life in Kashmir, from the floating gardens of Dal Lake to the annual saffron harvest. There are many stunning images here, but there are also quieter images of daily life in a place free of fast food joints, designer clothes and iPhones. We see fishermen rising early to cast their nets, craftsmen making richly-detailed rugs and shawls, and families preparing simple meals. It may be a cliche to say so, but the bottom line seems to be that these people are materially poor and spiritually rich. In the book's introduction, Isaac says that whenever he told Kashmiris he was working on a book, they asked him not to focus on the problems between India and Pakistan, but instead to depict Kashmir's beauty. Isaac has more than fulfilled that mandate, and anyone who sees this lovely book will surely emerge with an ardent desire for peace, here and elsewhere.

The Beauty of Kashmir and its People

The person who said, "Once you pick it up, you can't put it down..." might have been enjoying John Isaac's book, The Vale of Kashmir. Of the thousands of available coffee-table travel books, I'd be surprised if any could compare with the beautiful images of this picturesque - but remote - part of the world as seen through the eyes of John Isaac. According to the book's cover profile, Mr. Isaac spent most of his career as a photographer with the United Nations. He certainly has a way with people and his work shows him to be a compassionate and skilled photographer who, in this book uses his incredible talent to reflect ordinary people going about their daily lives in a culture that seems even more remote than the beautiful place in which they live. I've never been to Kashmir yet I feel as if I have because John Isaac has captured the spirit of Kashmir in his photographs. Although all the images moved me, some of my favorite images are the daily pre-dawn flotilla meeting of produce vendors, the natural-light portrait of a father holding his newborn son, a student's-eye view of a small middle school, people at prayer and especially the dreamlike quality of a house engulfed by fog on an Island in the early morning. All of the images in this book make me feel like I'm viewing beautifully produced versions of personal photo-albums belonging to people I've actually met in a place that's vaguely familiar - in time long ago. This is a book that's definitely worth owning - and buying as a gift for those who enjoy seeing the world in which we live and the diverse people who inhabit it.

Beautiful photos, great present

These days when you hear about Kashmir you only hear the negative. John Isaac shows you the real Kashmir - the beauty of the region, the amazing scenery and the peaceful people. This book offers you a glimpse of life in a place few of us get to experience. Beware these photos may have you scheduling a trip to India.