"Antarctica" is a collection of works by photographer Yoshikazu Shirakawa, who became the first person in human history to circumnavigate Antarctica for the purpose of photographing it and was awarded the Japan Art Award after publication, and "The Best of LIFE" is a collection of the best of the best photo books from LIFE magazine, selected by staff from a total of 1,864 books published over 36 years.
You may have to think about where to put these large photo books later, but regardless of whether you like photography or not, I hope you will buy them as they are a form of cultural education.
This collection of works, representing the first-ever circumnavigation of Antarctica in human history, became the world's first photo book to capture the entirety of the continent. After its publication, it won the Japan Art Award in 1995. The scale of this collection is conveyed by the forewords by Prince Philip and Sir Edmund Hillary. The commentary at the end of the book is also a must-read.
Yoshikazu Shirakawa's Works Collection: Antarctica, Volumes 1 and 2
A total of 1,864 issues were published from its launch in 1936 until its cessation in 1972. As a magazine that focused on photography, it's not hard to imagine how difficult it must have been to select the best of the best. This book contains just under 700 of the best photographs, each with a Japanese explanation.
The Best of LIFE