When lonely sixth grader April Boxler volunteers to help out during fourth-grade recess, she meets Joey Byrd, who walks in circles, spends recess alone, and has an unusual artistic skill.

The arrival of the aerostatic balloon at the end of the nineteenth century ushered in a new perspective on the battlefield, taking over from the mount--the hill at the edge of the field of combat--and the fortified tower positioned within it. Since then there has been no perspective more culpable in war, violence and security than the aerial one. From Above explores the aerial view in new depth and clarity. It draws in vivid detail on studies of the aerial perspective today and on rich empirical investigations of the aerial view from the past. Chapters examine a range of case studies and examples, from Vietnam and the balloon prospect, camouflage, colonial policing, to today's drone wars. The contributors draw on perspectives from history, international relations, political geography and cultural studies in order to provide a truly interdisciplinary perspective on the view from above. They also consider the view from above in relation to its technologies, legalities, practices, doctrines, and visual culture. Among the contributors are renowned international experts such as Derek Gregory, Trevor Paglen, Caren Kaplan, Klaus Dodds and Priya Satia. The aerial view is a perspective that can no longer be ignored, one that is of growing significance for those interested in geopolitics, militarism and conflict.

A collection of aerial photographs of landforms, people, and buildings, each of which is accompanied by a brief paragraph outlining the history, social influences, or geographical information relating to the picture.

Shares photographs and details of the author's experiences in space.

With over 200 spectacular images, including astonishing satellite photographs and stills from the PBS docuseries, Life from Above reveals our planet as you've never seen it before. Thanks to advanced satellite images, we can now see the earth's surface, its megastructures, weather patterns, and natural wonders in breathtaking detail. From the colors and patterns that make up our planet to the mass migrations and seismic changes that shape it, Life from Above sheds new light on the place we call home. It reveals the intimate stories behind the images, following herds of elephants crossing the plains of Africa and turtles traveling on ocean currents that are invisible unless seen from space. The true colors of our planet are revealed, from the striped tulip fields of Holland to the vivid turquoise lakes in Iceland to the green swirl of a plankton super bloom attracting a marine feeding frenzy. Whether it's the world's largest beaver dam--so remote it was discovered only through satellite imagery--or newly formed islands born from volcanic eruptions, you'll discover new perspectives with every image.

A compilation of both low- and high-level aerial images, including nearly two hundred new photographs, provides captions that explain the background of each image as well as essays on such topics as biodiversity and global warming.