Haunting views of the early twentieth century's most significant events flank pictures of the last remnants of the pre-modern world. Drawing on an enormous, rarely seen collection of stereographic views, Michael Lesy presents images displaying a riot of peoples and cultures, stark class divisions and unsettling glimpses of daily life a century ago. Included are Lesy's evocative essays as well as profiles of the photographers who saw the world through their prejudices. In underscoring the unnerving parallels between that period and our own, Looking Backward reveals a history that shadows us today. Photography scholar, author, and professor of literary journalism. Michael Lesy sees disturbing parallels between that era and our own, including ethnocentrism, cultural arrogance, militarism, and an overconfidence in dangerous, destructive technologies. The title implies a fond, nostalgic view of the past, but these images are anything but. - Library Journal