Books by Mike Bowers Aussie photographer
Fit to Print: Defining Moments from the Fairfax Photo Archive
At its very best, photojournalism can define a moment, a movement, an era or even a whole generation. It can bring down a careless politician or elevate them to a winning position. It can lift a weary spirit. And sometimes it can move opinions and change the way we view the world.
In Fit to Print, photographer and media commentator Mike Bowers explores the Fairfax Photographic Archive held by the National Library of Australia. This collection comprises over 18,000 glass-plate negatives, photographs of which appeared in Fairfax publications such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun and Sydney Mail.
In creating photographs for mainstream publications, the early photojournalists familiarised Australians with a new visual language of the news.
Covering the period 1890–1948, the book includes photographs of rural and urban scenes, industry, politicians, celebrities, daily life, special events (such as the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge), sporting and social events, and more.
Product Details:
ISBN: 9781922507907
Published: 1st March 2025
Format: Paperback
Publisher: National Library of Australia
Dimensions (cm): 23.0 x 23.0
Armageddon: Two Men on an Anzac Trail
by Paul Daley and Michael Bowers
OUT OF PRINT
Almost a century after the Australian Light Horse fought a series of epic and bloody battles against the Turkish Army across the deserts of the Middle East, Paul Daley and Mike Bowers retrace the steps of the men and boys who fought there.
Evocative, sometimes funny, frequently sad and often disturbing, Armageddon is two men on a fading Anzac trail. A unique literary and pictorial portrait of a tumultuous, exciting and enduringly dangerous part of the world. Armageddon. Nazareth. Damascus. The names of these places come straight from the Bible. They are the lands of the Pharaohs, the Crusaders, and Lawrence of Arabia. But the forbidding deserts and mysterious cities of the Middle East were also the lesser-known backdrop for the battles of the Australian men and boys who served there during the First World War.
Paul Daley and Michael Bowers follow in the footsteps of the Australian Light Horse divisions, bringing us closer to the realities of those times.
As they pick up shrapnel, bullet casings, and even the odd human bone, the musings and black humour of these two mates recall the laconic spirit of the diggers.
Illustrated with both archival photographs and contemporary photography, Armageddon is part travelogue, part history - a compelling story about the tragic road the Australians fought to victory.
Product Details:
ISBN: 9780522857306
Published: 1st August 2011
Format: Paperback
Publisher: MUP - Melbourne University Press
Dimensions (cm): 20.96 x 25.4 cm
Century of Pictures: 100 Years of Herald Photography
Edited by Michael Bowers
OUT OF PRINT
The right picture can define a moment, a year or a generation. It can highlight injustice, bring down the careless politician or lift a weary spirit.
In 1908 The Sydney Morning Herald reproduced a photograph in its pages for the first time. It was the beginning of a revolution, one which would forever change the way its readers looked at the world and their place in it. From the wretchedness of economic depression and global conflict through to the seemingly ordinary experiences of citizens, the Herald's photographers captured life as it unfolded.
Unprecendented access to the Fairfax archives has afforded a fascinating and moving record of Australian life. Century of Pictures gives us the opportunity to bear witness to events - both extraordinary and everyday - that have shaped our country and ourselves.
Product Details:
ISBN: 9780670073016
Published: 24th November 2008
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Dimensions (cm): 27.2 x 23.7
The Big Picture: 175 Years of The Sydney Morning Herald
Edited by Max Prisk, Tony Stephens and Michael Bowers
OUT OF PRINT
The journey from Australia's first European settlement to today's nation of 20 million people is a rich and powerful story.
Most of it has been reported as it happened by Australia's oldest newspaper, The Sydney Morning Herald. This book brings to life 175 years of the paper recording and sometimes making the news.
Product Details:
ISBN: 9781864710984
Published: 2005
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday
Dimensions (cm): 25.2 x 32.1 cm
Gallipoli: Untold stories from war correspondent Charles Bean and front-line Anzacs: a 90th anniversary tribute
Jonathan King and Michael Bowers
OUT OF PRINT
Commemorates the 90th anniversary of Gallipoli. Superb photographic book brings to life the untold stories of front-line Anzacs and the war Correspondent Charles Bean (Sydney Morning Herald) with photographs from Phillip Schuler (The Age).
Unique personal stories of more than 100 ANZAC veterans who served at Gallipoli. Interesting, during the planning of this book, an appeal was made to readers of the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Dominion Post for new accounts of the Gallipoli battle. Following the appeal, we were inundated with memorabilia, diaries and photos from families to include in this book.
Gallipoli was a tragic campaign: 2000 Anzacs were slaughtered in the first 24 hours; 11,410 Anzacs in the nine months (of which 2700 were New Zealanders). This unique book combines for the first time the official recordings of Bean, Schuler, supported by many veteran accounts, and many of the photos have never been published before. Extracts from Bean's private diaries, which he was not allowed to print in his newspaper accounts due to wartime censorship.
Product Details:
ISBN: 9781863254717
Published: 1 January 2005
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday
Dimensions (cm): 250 x 200