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Coffee table books: a selection of the most beautiful volumes to give as gifts or display at home
Coffee table books are large, hardback volumes with a stylish appearance and plenty of images, accompanied by captions and brief explanations. They can explore a range of subjects: design and photography are the most obvious topics, but they can also investigate themes like cookery, art, cars, travel, fashion and nature.
Coffee table books are designed to be read, but they’re also meant to be displayed on a table and browsed by guests, providing perfect conversation starters and adding a touch of personality to your living room. They are therefore often considered design objects, with the advantage over traditional furnishings that they describe the passions and interests of the person who chose them. They also make an original and refined gift idea, and the wide variety of titles on the market means there really is something for everyone.
Here’s a selection of some of the most fascinating coffee table books available in English, perfect for browsing or putting on display, or as gifts for people with a particular hobby or passion, or who simply love illustrated books.
Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005–2016
Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005–2016 is an evocative collection of photographs and portraits from one of the world’s most influential contemporary photographers. The volume contains numerous shots of politicians, stars of music and theatre and other iconic figures from the current era; a series of portraits of less well-known people; and photos of historically important objects and places from the photographer’s Pilgrimage collection. Readers flicking through the pages of this book will discover surprising images of the characters that have shaped our culture and society, from Barack Obana and Queen Elizabeth II to John Lennon and Lady Gaga. Leibovitz’s unmistakeable style turns every portrait into an authentic and unexpected story, which captures the essence of the subject by revealing their most intimate side.
Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places
A National Geographic guide to 225 of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world, including well-known and undiscovered places and natural and man-made wonders that everyone should see at least once in their lives. The large images, taken by National Geographic’s photographers, are accompanied by full information on each location: the best time of year to visit, the top restaurants and hotels, and recommended activities for an authentic experience. From the ‘alien’ landscape of the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, used by NASA to simulate future missions to Mars, to the network of tunnels beneath the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places is a fascinating photographic world tour, perfect for travelling the globe just with your mind.
Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany
Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany is a delightful illustrated guide to the world of books by artist Jane Mount, perfect for book lovers of all ages. Packed full of vibrant images and literary curiosities, this volume allows readers to explore the most beautiful bookshops and libraries across the globe, to peek into their favourite authors’ work spaces, and to choose their next book from the author’s selections. Mount’s creation is an fun and eccentric work, dedicated to the biggest bookworms, and revealing myriad unusual and little-known facts, from writers’ pets to the dishes that literature made famous.
The Kinfolk Home: Interiors for Slow Living
In The Kinfolk Home Nathan Williams, businessman and co-founder of Kinfolk magazine, takes readers on a journey of discovery around 35 homes that epitomise the concept of slow living, in which Williams is a passionate believer. The houses described in the book – which belong to designers, architects, photographers and fashion designers all over the world – offer a feeling of calm, intimacy and simplicity, and stem from a long and meticulous design process. Their minimalist aesthetic is guided by the concept of keeping only the things that really matter to their inhabitants. In a series of interviews, the author invites each resident to share their values, explaining how these beliefs shaped their interiors and, vice versa, how their homes have helped to forge their ideals. Featuring 289 colour photographs, this volume is a precious source of inspiration for anyone wanting to explore the philosophy of slow living by abandoning the hectic pace of modern life and rediscovering the pleasure of sharing and simplicity.
The Wes Anderson Collection
Arthouse cinema and design fans are sure to love this sizeable tome produced by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz. It takes readers through director Wes Anderson’s visual universe, delving into the making of his films and his sources of inspiration. Featuring beautiful illustrations, original on-set and behind-the-scenes photos, rare interviews, storyboards and a collection of his early writing, The Wes Anderson Collection offers a complete overview of his films. A richly illustrated edition that captures the playful and melancholic spirit of one of this era’s most brilliant – and eccentric – directors.
The Art Museum (Phaidon)
The Art Museum has been designed to offer the reader a unique experience inside an enormous virtual museum, with no limits on space or time. The volume is divided up into ‘galleries’ presenting different forms of artistic production from across the world, while the ‘rooms’ and ‘corridors’ delve deeper into the themes on display and provide descriptions of the most important artworks for each period or cultural movement. The texts have all been written by professionals from the sector: curators, critics, art historians and artists. Featuring over 2,700 works from prehistory to the present day, and taking in painting, sculpture, photography, installations, prints, textiles and jewellery, this encyclopaedic volume will delight any art fan.
Mars. Photographs from the NASA Archives
Mars offers an extraordinary collection of photographs of the red planet from NASA’s archives, from the first images taken by the Mariner 4 spacecraft in 1965 to the fascinating aerial photos of polar ice caps, dust storms, canyons and volcanos taken during subsequent missions. The captions – written by geologist and science writer Emily Lakdawalla – explain the content and the more technical aspects of each photo and recount an exciting adventure that has literally expanded the frontiers of humankind. A perfect book for science lovers, taking you on a rapid interplanetary journey through the mysteries of the universe, without ever leaving the comfort of your sitting room.
Image: Mars. Photographs from the NASA Archives
The History of Graphic Design
In The History of Graphic Design. 45th Ed. designer Jens Müller traces the history of the medium from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day through a vast collection of works, accompanied by textual insights. This volume not only reflects the changes in a constantly evolving creative sector, it also reflects on graphic design’s profound influence on contemporary culture and society. Müller analyses the most important projects in the history of graphic design, highlighting their dual function: reflecting the social and cultural values of their era while also creating new and original interpretations of reality.
Of course, we’re not claiming that this selection of coffee table books is an exhaustive list: the aim is to encourage you to start your own voyage of discovery, and to provide a starting point for anyone who wants to explore the world of design, art and science, or ancient and modern culture more generally, through the pages of books that are both beautiful to look at and interesting to read. After all, just as every house has its own style, there is also the perfect book for every coffee table: one that expresses your interests, plans and dreams.