The Associated Press has published a new book on a transformative business and civic leader who became the first prominent civilian executed in the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Written by his granddaughter, former AP photo editor Shahrzad Elghanayan, the book reconstructs and chronicles Elghanian’s ascent from Tehran’s Jewish quarter – “the edge of the pit” – to his business success, which was instrumental in modernizing the country, to fatefully facing a firing squad. Parts of the book read like passages in a thriller, while exploring universal themes of loss and longing, belonging and identity.
“We are very proud to bring to light an in-depth accounting of the events that occurred before and after this injustice,” said Peter Costanzo, AP director of programming. “The author’s commitment to ensure her grandfather’s legacy is portrayed accurately and not forgotten is palpable and woven throughout the book.”
“Titan of Tehran” serves as a monument to a man who might have disappeared in the mists of history, even though his execution was reported worldwide on newspaper front pages and in broadcast news reports.
The book features a foreword by Pulitzer Prize winner and former AP correspondent Charles J. Hanley and more than 60 photographs from the AP Images archives, the author’s personal collection and other sources.
“Titan of Tehran” is now available wherever books are sold.
NEW YORK – A new book from The Associated Press explores and brings to life the dramatic and divisive impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s first woman president.
“Dilma's Downfall: The Impeachment of Brazil’s First Woman President and the Pathway to Power for Jair Bolsonaro’s Far-Right,” chronicles the ouster of former President Rousseff, which many Brazil watchers cite as a root cause of some of the biggest problems plaguing Latin America’s largest nation today.
Through interviews with key players, including Rousseff, deep research and personal experience covering Rousseff’s impeachment in 2016, Sao Paulo-based correspondent Mauricio Savarese and former Brazil Bureau Chief Peter Prengaman present a detailed and essential examination of this critical period in Brazil’s history.
The book outlines the rise and fall of Rousseff, a former Marxist guerilla turned politician, along the way showing how betrayal, deep frustration with her handling of the economy and bare-knuckled politics fueled the ouster of a democratically elected president based on controversial accusations of mismanaging the federal budget.
“’Dilma’s Downfall’ provides a window into Brazil’s political divisions, corruption scandals and an economic slump that has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said AP Director of Programming Peter Costanzo. “Each chapter is a glimpse into the complex political culture of one of the world’s most racially diverse and famous countries.”
Prengaman and Savarese describe the larger-than-life personalities of the impeachment’s main players, including a backroom dealing vice president accused of leading the charge to oust his boss, and detail how the deeply polarizing process provided an opening for Brazil’s current president, Jair Bolsonaro, at the time a fringe lawmaker of Brazil’s far right.
AP is releasing the book on Aug. 31, exactly five years after the Senate voted to remove her from office after the bruising process through much of 2016.
The book looks at how Rousseff’s career trajectory, with complex turns that eventually ended in her impeachment, is also the story of modern Brazil and a cautionary tale on the fragility of democracy anywhere.
The book includes dozens of photos by AP photographers, with curated galleries on Rousseff’s rise, the 9-month impeachment process and the aftermath. A foreword is written by New York Times Latin American and Caribbean Editor Juliana Barbassa, a former AP Brazil correspondent.
“Dilma’s Downfall” is available in paperback and e-book wherever books are sold.
The Associated Press has released a commemorative book marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In collaboration with Sterling Publishing, “September 11: The 9/11 Story, Aftermath and Legacy,” is a comprehensive look at the 9/11 terrorist attacks as told through stories and photographs from AP covering everything from the events of that tragic day to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center and beyond.
The volume includes breaking news reports and in-depth investigative pieces from the AP archives, ranging from AP’s wall-to-wall reporting on Sept. 11, 2001; coverage of the rescue efforts and aftermath; the world’s reaction and subsequent U.S. military operations; and the rebuilding of downtown New York.
“With this project, we set out to bring to life AP’s gripping coverage of that seismic day 20 years ago,” said AP Director of Programming Peter Costanzo. “‘September 11’ tells the many stories of 9/11—not only of the unprecedented horror of that morning, but also of the inspiring resilience and hope of the human spirit that followed.”
The book features a foreword by actor Robert De Niro.
“September 11: The 9/11 Story, Aftermath and Legacy,” is available now online and in hardcover wherever books are sold.
The Associated Press has published an illustrated biography documenting the life and career of former AP photographer Nick Ut.
“From Hell to Hollywood: The Incredible Journey of AP Photographer Nick Ut” chronicles the lifelong adventure of the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, including his teenage years in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, his time working at AP’s Saigon bureau and his eventual role covering celebrities and daily life in Los Angeles.
It features more than 200 gripping photos made during his 51 years with AP.
“With this project, we set out to share the entirety of Nick Ut’s personal life and career at The Associated Press,” said AP Director of Programming Peter Costanzo. “Nick’s path is an inspirational tale of achievement against all odds, driven by his passion for photography and a desire to live life to the fullest.”
Ut is best known for his iconic Vietnam War photo of terrified 9-year-old Kim Phuc running scorched and naked from a napalm attack. “From Hell to Hollywood” recounts the moment Ut took the photograph and examines its impact on the world. The book also explores his continued friendship with Kim Phuc.
Ut was hired by AP in Saigon in March 1966, replacing his older brother, Huynh Thanh My, who had been working as a photographer with AP and was killed by the Viet Cong in 1965.
After working in Vietnam, Ut did a stint at AP’s Tokyo bureau before relocating to Los Angeles in 1977. There he shot a wide variety of stories, from earthquakes to fires to celebrities to business to crime until his retirement from AP in 2017.
Ut has won numerous prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for Spot Photography — the youngest photographer to win the award — and the World Press Photo Award the same year, all for his photo of the young Kim Phuc.
In January 2021 Ut became the first journalist to win the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the U.S. federal government.
“From Hell to Hollywood” is written by Hal Buell, former AP head of photography service and the author of “Uncommon Valor, Common Virtue.”
The book includes a foreword by former CBS News broadcaster Bob Schieffer and an afterword by Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Peter Arnett.
It is available now online and in paperback wherever books are sold.
Posts
