Product Description

Puerto Rico Magnfico! is a large-format, photographic-essay, coffee-table book about the island of Puerto Rico. Through photographs, maps, and text, it covers Puerto Rico's history, culture, people, nature, geography, and scenery. The book features a special emphasis on aerial photography, and a "then-and-now" chapter is devoted to comparing historic and modern scenes of the island.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #174866 in Books
• Published on: 1999-11-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

About the Author
Photojournalist Roger LaBrucheries experience with Puerto Rico and the Caribbean began in 1969, when he spent several months undergoing training for the Peace Corps in Ponce, on Puerto Ricos southern coast. Since that initial encounter, he has lived and travelled extensively in the region, writing and photographing nine books on the islands of the Caribbean and Bermuda, as well as a book on Hawaii. Among those nine volumes are two previous best-selling documentary books on Puerto Rico itself: Images of Puerto Rico (published in 1983), and Puerto Rico, Borinquen Querida, which was published in 1991 to celebrate the fifth centennial of Puerto Ricos discovery.

Given his formal education as an economist and lawyer at Harvard and Stanford Universities, it is hardly surprising that his works are as widely acclaimed for their commitment to the thoroughness and accuracy of their texts as they are for their stunning visual presentations.

In addition to the present volume and his other two books on Puerto Rico, Mr. LaBrucheries books include: Bermuda, A World Apart; Hawaiian World, Hawaiian Heart; A Barbados Journey; and Imgenes de Santo Domingo.

Customer Reviews

As the title says: "Magnifico!"
Having travelled to Puerto Rico dozens of times over the past twenty years (and I lived there for a time as well), I have to say this is absolutely the most impressive and complete "coffee-table" book on the island that I have ever seen. It is large-format, filled with superb color photographs (including a lot of aerials and a fascinating "then and now" chapter of archival pictures side-by-side with the same scene as it is today). And the text doesn't insult your intelligence -- it's a concise overview of Puerto Rico's history. An added plus is the Spanish translation (done by a Puerto Rican translator) at the back of the book -- too many books about Puerto Rico ignore the island's linguistic heritage! I've given several copies to friends who love the island. The jacket blurb says the author was once a Peace Corps Volunteer, and it shows ... this is a real in-depth portrait, not just "post-cardy" superficial coverage.

Magnificent Arm Chair Travel
For anyone familiar or unfamiliar with Puerto Rico, this superb pictorial and eloquently written portrait of this country, its culture, its people and its history, will bring the reader palpably close to the very pulse of the island. Page after page of breathtaking photography and descriptive narrative succeed in transporting you to the the subject matter at hand. Both visually and verbally, this book lifts you right off each page as it gives you a soaring birdseye view of one of the Caribbean's most beautiful island destinations. The overall impact of this book on one's senses can only be exceeded by actually being there. Otherwise, be prepared for some unsurpassable armchair travel.

The ultimate guide to Puerto Rico.
This stunner provides you with two books rolled into one, a beautiful and timeless collection of more than 100 lush photographs as well as an easy-to-read history of Puerto Rico. It is apparent from the obvious care and attention to detail that went into this book that the author is both dedicated to his craft and enamored of the people and island that he is profiling. The book depicts the great diversity of Puerto Rico -- from the hustle and bustle of its urban centers (including the grand architectural heritage) to the most desolate and pristine parts of the island, shown both in close-up and from the air. The stars of the book are the people themselves, who act as guides to the island and invite you to visit them for the first time or simply to return again as old friends. A highly recommended work.