Fear This by Anthony Suau

Aperture is known for publishing provocative, sometimes counter-culture, books many publishers might not touch -- unless the included folio contains a lot of scantily clad people or outright nudity. Photographer Anthony Suau, well known for his 1980s work in Ethiopia, the war in Chechnya and the changing world of the former Soviet Union, tackles the home front in this nicely done softcover book. The work harks back to the stateside photographers documenting the tumultuous '60s and working the cultural divide caused by the civil rights movement and the war in Vietnam. Described as an anti-war document, the premise of the book is a visual questioning of the United States' actions leading to the invasion of Iraq, the early war and the eventual capture of Saddam Hussein.

Both sides are portrayed, yet there is a noticeable tilt to the left-leaning protesters, particularly the anti-George W. Bush factions. This is stated in some of the coverage the publication received. The work at the "pro-war" rallies is respectful enough, at times even-handed. The images from churches, where people gathered to pray for the troops or mourn the dead, are the most poignant in the book.

Suau decided to take the path which discovers the more polarized America than the one-sided coverage, often using slogans and images left unchallenged, he sees surrounding events. It is an interesting chronicle that will gain more historical perspective as time grows and emotions become less raw. A good, though not a necessary, addition to a photographer's library.