We all know Martin Parr as the acclaimed photographer and well-seen photobook bibliophile. Mr. Parr recently released the list of his newest category of best books: The Best Books of the Decade. While not as Herculean a task as creating Photobook: A History, vols. I and II with co-author and photo historian Gerry Badger, some serious research, time and passion are required to cull this list down to thirty titles. I do find many of the books on Mr. Parr's list very attractive. Having not seen all of the books or given due time to each one I have seen, I would concur with Martin Parr on John Gossage's Berlin in the Time of the Wall, a huge tome of a book reminiscent of what I would imagine an actual slab of said wall would feel like in the hands; Daniela Rossell's Ricas y Famosas, a study of the not often imagined affluent community in Mexico; Leigh Ledare's disturbing and heartfelt portrait of his mother and muse in Pretend You're Actually Alive; the colorful, fashion styled images by Viviane Sassen in Flamboya; and, I would add as an "of course" here, Alec Soth's Sleeping by the Mississippi. All of the books are listed in a catalogue that is for sale from PhotoIreland where Parr just announced the list at the festival last week.
The list by Martin Parr is shown below replete with links to all books that are (or were) available from photo-eye.
The list by Martin Parr is shown below replete with links to all books that are (or were) available from photo-eye.
 |
| Ryan McGinley The Kids are Alright, Rinko Kawauchi Utatane, Geert van Kesteren Why Mister, Why? |
 |
| John Gossage Berlin in the Time of the Wall, Christien Meindertsma Checked Baggage, Leigh Ledare Pretend You're Actually Alive |
 |
| Sakaguchi Tomoyuki Home, Simon Roberts We English, Paul Graham A Shimmer of Possibility (softcover shown here) |
 |
| Doug Rickard New American Picture, Miguel Calderon Miguel Calderon, Dash Snow Slime the Boogie |
 |
| Viviane Sassen Flamboya, Miyako Ishuichi Mother's, JH Engstrom Trying to Dance |
 |
| Jules Spinatsch Temporary Discomfort, Daniela Rossell Ricas y Famosas, Uchihara Yasuhiro Son of a BIT |
 |
| Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs The Great Unreal, Donovan Wylie Scrapbook, Archive of Modern Conflict Nein, Onkel |
 |
| Stephen Gill Hackney Wick, Florian van Roekel How Terry Likes his Coffee, Susan Meiselas In History |
 |
| WassinkLundgren Empty Bottles, Michael Wolf Tokyo Compression, Alessandra Sanguinetti On the Sixth Day |
 |
| Nina Korhonen Anna, Amerikan Mummu, Alec Soth Sleeping by the Mississippi, Hans Eijkelboom Portraits & Cameras 1949-2009 |