The intrepid editors of LIFE magazine apparently aren’t easily satisfied; rather than stop at Seven Wonders of the World, in LIFE Wonders of the World they explore 50 of them, from ancient to modern, natural to man-made. Each wondrous entity—such as the Empire State Building, the Serengeti and the International Space Station, to name a few—gets the full-on LIFE magazine treatment in large, color-drenched photos taken by a variety of talented photographers. Some images are atmospheric, like the photo of Loch Ness, in which gray clouds fill the sky above (and alas, there is no monster in sight). Others, like the photo of the Eiffel Tower, are crisp and bright. The book offers an excellent vicarious travel experience, with plenty of interesting information about history, culture and the like. It also features standalone 8”x10” prints of the Seven Wonders of the World; the prints duplicate the images in the book so the photos can be enjoyed both on the wall and in the book.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
