World's Hundred Greatest Waterfalls, The: Volume 1

Reviewed by Bryan Swan

Yoshikazu Shiarakawa is a famous, well renowned Japanese photographer who has undertaken very ambitious projects in the past and who has consistently produced some of the most impressive photographic works of the modern age. In 2003 he began a project to photograph 100 of the most impressive, tallest, widest and most storied waterfalls on the planet, for which World Waterfall Database founders Bryan Swan and Dean Goss were hired as consultants. The project was completed in 2007 and was launched with a lavish exhibition that traveled around Japan for several months. The books, divided into three volumes, span about 175 (give or take, depending on the volume) pages, have dimensions of approximately 17x12 inches and are printed on exceptionally high quality, very heavy paper. Though seeing the books will give a much better idea of the quality here, hopefully you get the idea that this is not a casual product by any means.

Volume one of the series is dedicated to the African and Australian continents as well as the various oceanic islands bearing worthy waterfalls throughout the world (New Zealand, Hawaii, Reunion, etc). While these regions only bear two of the waterfalls ranked among the World Waterfall Database's Top 10 on earth (Victoria and Sutherland), nearly sixty pages (though many consisting of facing-page photos) are dedicated to the lavish photographs of Victoria Falls - and deservedly so.

But in additional to the global juggernauts which have been so exquisitely displayed to their utmost justice, many lesser known waterfalls are given just as worthy a treatment - in many cases in such eye popping detail that one would have to visit the location in person to feel any more immersed. Expansive views of little known waterfalls like Vivienne Falls on Mount Kenya set amid the arid canyons on the slopes of Africa's second tallest mountain, or aerial images of Uganda's famous Murchison Falls which show the much wider northerly segment of the waterfall which is so rarely seen from the ground allow the reader (or observer as it may more appropriately be) to experience many of the waterfalls featured within in ways otherwise not possible.

As exceptional a product as this is there are a few downsides. First off, the books are quite expensive (at least new), running roughly $330 USD. Secondly, because they were produced by a Japanese photographer, they were printed in Kanji (with a few captions the exception) and are largely unavailable outside of Japan (again, at least new). Second hand copies may eventually show up online but we have yet to see them at the major outlets.

So, while the price point may put this product out of the reach of the average individual (and you may need to find a good orthopedic surgeon should you drop one on your foot), the dazzling quality and presentation of this book make it a worthy investment for anyone interested in the subject matter.