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Timor-Leste Land of Discovery

By Graham Bond | Asia Away "Land of Hope and Beauty" - April 2006 issue

Daniel J Groshong's Timor-Leste Land of Discovery is a testament to life and liberty in the world's newest nation," writes Tmor-Leste's Foreign Affairs Minister in an afterword to this glorious coffee-table book.

With similarly weighty comments from the likes of Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan sprinkled throughout, Land of Discovery reminds readers that the 192 pages of mesmerising photography - full of warm, vitality and fun - must be seen against the story of a nation's struggle for freedom.

"The result is not only a book that is profoundly beautiful but also deeply moving."

Timor-Leste's abiding allure is a miracle in itself. Having survived centuries of exploitation by Portuguese colonisers, the island endured a devastating three year stay by Japanese troops during the second world war. It was annexed by a belligerent Indonesia in the 1970s, leading in turn to a brutal and bloody occupation that only came to an end in 2001.These historical facts are recorded in brief at the back of this book, and it's where they belong. For this is a book that documents the true joy of the land that has survived.

Land of Discovery is no seductive slice of travel mystique. Authenticity abounds on each and every page, from the shot of a man boiling coffee in an abandoned mountain chapel, to images of villages clutching their prized cock-fighters shortly before a fight.

With seperate sections of the Urban, Sea, Coastal, Inland and Mountain landscapes, Groshong treats us to the best of the island's human and geographic attractions without creating a holiday brochure slideshow. Staring out from the pages are faces scarred by struggle, eyes filled with hope and expressions and enduring determination.

That the book feels like a documentary study is no great surprise. In his 20-year photographic career, Groshong has spent time documenting conflict - Somalia and Afghanistan included - as well as environmental issues for Greenpeace. But though journalistic in tone, there's an artistic richness. Land of Discovery is a genuine treasure, a visually gorgeous book that pays tribute to the beauty of the natural world and the indomitable spirit of the Timorese.

To find out more about the book Timor-Leste Land of Discovery by Daniel J Groshong and the fabulous photos inside, please visit www.tayophotogroup.com. You can also purchase the book online for USD40 excluding shipping charges at the website.

The above article was published with permission from the author, Mr Graham Bond. The original article appears in the April 2006 issue of Asia and Away Magazine.