1,104 ratings
arrow_drop_down
Buy 3 Get 1 Free
Order by December 14th to guarantee Christmas delivery
Our Best Sale Yet! Add 4 Books Priced Under $10 To Your Cart
Learn more
Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis
Select Format
Book Overview
A New York Times Notable Book
A Best Book of the Year
Christian Science Monitor, Amazon.com, Publishers Weekly
A vivid exploration of one man's lifelong obsession with an idea . . . Egan s spirited biography might just bring [Curtis] the recognition that eluded him in life. Washington Post
Edward Curtis was charismatic, handsome, a passionate mountaineer, and a famous portrait photographer, the Annie Leibovitz of his time. He moved in rarefied circles, a friend to presidents, vaudeville stars, leading thinkers. But when he was thirty-two years old, in 1900, he gave it all up to pursue his Great Idea: to capture on film the continent s original inhabitants before the old ways disappeared.
Curtis spent the next three decades documenting the stories and rituals of more than eighty North American tribes. It took tremendous perseverance ten years alone to persuade the Hopi to allow him to observe their Snake Dance ceremony. And the undertaking changed him profoundly, from detached observer to outraged advocate. Curtis would amass more than 40,000 photographs and 10,000 audio recordings, and he is credited with making the first narrative documentary film. In the process, the charming rogue with the grade school education created the most definitive archive of the American Indian.
A darn good yarn. Egan is a muscular storyteller and his book is a rollicking page-turner with a colorfully drawn hero. San Francisco Chronicle
A riveting biography of an American original. Boston Globe
Frequently Asked Questions About Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis
-
How long does it take to read Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis?
It takes about 7 Hours and 24 minutes on average for a reader to read Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis. This is based on the average reading speed of 250 Words per minute.
-
What is the reading level for Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis?
The recommended reading level for Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis is College Freshman and Up .
-
How long is Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis?
Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis is 384 pages long.
- Who wrote Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis?
-
Which awards has Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis won?
in 2013 Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis won the Washington State Book Award in category .
Books like Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis
258,623
Book Reviews (13)
Did you read Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life And Immortal Photographs Of Edward Curtis? Please provide your feedback and rating to help other readers.
Write Review
|
A must read!
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher was the name given by Edward Curtis to Native Americans. It poetically describes the man who has undertaken a thirty-year effort to document the fading years of the traditional Native Americans. Curtis was ahead of his time in the respect and appreciation he developed towards Native Americans. He was also a time of his own characters such as J. P. Morgan, Wild Bill Hickok and Teddy Roosevelt, men who play roles in this true but astounding story. Tim Egan has told a huge and important story of a man and an undertaking for which we are all deeply indebted. While learning about Curtis and his life's work, we also learn much about American history, things we may not have known, but for which we are so much richer.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
An outstanding biography of Edward Curtis
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
An excellent non-fictionbiography on Edward Curtis, who has been photographing for over 30 years and documented 80 North American tribes - an amazing accomplishment for a man who was unheralded in his time. His full set of 20 volumes was sold recently for $ 1.5 million at Sotheby's.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
Stunning and remarkable
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
Curtis was decades ahead of his time in technical skills, but also in genuine empathy for the original people of North America. He wanted to tell a deeper story of the atrocities that Native Americans suffered at the hands of the U.S. government, but was essentially afraid to do so for good reasons. Highly recommended reading to all.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
A fine biography and supplement
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
Like many, I have always returned to Edward Curtis'apos ; photographic chronicle of the now-vanished life of the aboriginal North Americans. While I knew the background of Curtis in broad outline, this book brings him to life as only an exceptional writer can. Curtis's style and his ability to choose captivating episodes of the author's life make a very enjoyable. I have recommended this book to all who have an interest, as everyone should certainly.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
One of my top 5 this year!
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
I haven 't read anything from Timothy Egan that I did not really like. Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher is my favorite so far, a spellbinding story of disappearing native cultures at the turn of the century and of an artist's commitment to documenting that culture before it is gone. The characters jump off the page and you can not help in caring for them. There aren 't many books that keep me up late, but this was one of them that was a real page turner. Filled with historically accurate information and perhaps a bit of fiction, it is a must read for anyone interested in diverse cultures and art. I ordered the Kindle version but would like to have a hard copy in my library.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
An interesting life
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
This is an interesting and compelling account of the dedication of a man to a goal throughout his life. The vision that Curtis had of capturing the images of all the native American peoples and the best accounts of their heritage and languages into a collection of publications would seem unattainable, though he came as close as possible. I have never seen the collection itself, though reading this book certainly inspired me to do so. Dennis ( b ) Dennis is a local resident.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
Fascinating
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
I enjoyed this book thoroughly ''. The one thing I wanted to see more was images of the photographs described through the book. At the end of each chapter there are one to three full-page images. I know that the book would have been too expensive to produce with all the images I would have liked. But I found an excellent web site with images from a Curtis gallery.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
The story of Edward Curtis
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
This newly written book details the story of this well-known media expert. In this day, it is recognizable how Edward was able to adapt his media from photos, to words, then to moving pictures ''. The book could use more photo's, I wonder if the printed version has fewer pictures than the Kindle book. On the other hand, on my iPad tablet, I am able to switch back and forth between the Library of Congress collection of photos, as they are referenced in the text.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
The Real Story
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
Curtis wanted to explore the life and times of the Native American population before he felt that it would be extinct. With limited funding and a will of iron, he learn places and people that will never be available again and in the process, he captured the truths about such battles as the Little Big Horn, Chief Joseph's March and others. Worth the read, but my ony wish is that there were more images to review as he travels through this great land.
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
|
Extraordinary Story of Obsession and Art
Derived From Web , May 24, 2022
Curtis'work lives truly in an artist heaven of its own. It was a painful apotheosis on the shoulders of a giant of a man. I feel puny in the presence of a man who seems to be a Lewis and Clark scale adventurer who also has an artist's clarity and vision. The is a story of a man and America not to be missed. It is filled with adventure as if it is invented!
|
|
|
Recommended to buy:
Yes
|
12