he Drone Chronicles maps the evolution and increasing integration of drones in our society, from the American invasion in Afghanistan in 2001 onwards. The limitless applications of drones and a series of quite extraordinary stories in which they figure are highlighted in this chronicle. All the articles included here derive from different international media outlets, in which ethical and political questions about drone usage are reviewed from a variety of perspectives. The extensive catalogue looks at the production of drones, which is growing exponentially. All the models introduced onto the market between 2001 and 2016—either for commercial or military purposes—are organized by release date and presented along with their technical specifications. The manufacturers are listed by country in the catalogue’s index, proposing a comparative geopolitical reading, equal to that of an atlas.

Photography is a peculiar medium, an idiosyncratic mix of strengths and weaknesses. It is extremely good at documenting our everyday reality, and yet it is only capable of capturing the mute surface of our world. It merely shows the external appearance of things, not their essence. This is a question of interpretation, a matter for the viewer’s discretion. To compensate for this failing, photographs are mostly presented in an explicit context, often with explanatory captions. Tillesen’s “superficial images” also document our everyday reality, in combination with titles that seem to offer an explanation of their content. But on closer examination it becomes clear that neither the photographs nor the captions are reliable.

Architecture has always been a central subject matter for photographers. For most of the 20th century, however, the practice of architectural photography has been a professional endeavor; anonymous photographs taken for clients for specific, commercial reasons. This book concerns itself with another, rarer, topic: the photography of architecture as an art practice. It considers the work of seven contemporary photographers who use buildings in their work in a new way. In these photographs, they respond to the work of prominent architects by creating their own interpretations. Here are Andreas Gursky’s photos of the Stockhom Library by Gunnar Asplund, Tomas Ruff’s photos of several works by Herzog & de Meuron, Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photos of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, as well as works by Candida Hofer, Jeff Wall, Gunther Forg, and Balthasar Burkhard. A beautiful and valuable book on one of the prominent movements in contemporary photography. Featuring: Andreas Gursky, Candida Hofer, Thomas Ruff, Jeff Wall, Gunther Forg, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Balthasar Burkhard Edited by Gloria Moure. Essays by Abalos & Enguita, Joerg Bader, Catherine Hurzeler, Hans Irrek, Gloria Moure, Barry Schwabsky, Jeff Wall and Martin Tschanz. Introduction by Terence Riley.