The Mammoth Book of Illustrated Erotic Women - book discontinued by Carroll & Graff - review by RedHotHippieChick

I’ve always been a big fan of erotic photography. The human body is a beautiful thing in all its forms, and it deserves to be honored as a work of art. The Mammoth Book of Illustrated Erotic Women is a collection honoring the female form in photography, and it delivers a big bunch of really talented photographers showing off their craft.

This isn’t a coffee-table book; it’s rather small but fat, packing 575 pages. With so many photographs, if the book were any larger, it would be awkward, but the photo quality suffers because of the smaller size. The book could benefit from higher quality paper as well. Although, I suppose if you’re buying the book purely for its erotic value, the photo quality isn’t of much concern. The photographs are very sexy; however, I don’t think it stands alone on its erotic value.

Each section features a short little bio on the photographer, along with website information if applicable. Interestingly, many of the photographers are also subjects. The photographs range from nearly shocking to simply beautiful. (There aren’t any raunchy masturbation or sex photos.)

There isn’t much range, however, in the type of woman shown. Nearly all the photos feature young, generally attractive, slender women. This book clearly isn’t meant for a widely varied audience. The book’s merits lie mainly in its offering of different photographic styles. Some are computer-enhanced; some are touched up with color; some are just basic photos. They all depict the female form in all its splendor: smiling, somber, contorted, bound, dark, writhing. The photos offer an unflinching view of a lovely subject.

The book serves nicely as a comprehensive introduction to some leading photographers in the business. Anyone interested in exploring the world of nude photography further will find plenty of places to start.