The third volume in an authoritative and comprehensive series, The Photobook: A History volume III provides a unique perspective on the story of contemporary photography through the genre of the photobook. Continuing in the vein of the first two volumes, Volume III is a study of the major trends and movements that have shaped the photobook genre globally since the birth of photography in the early nineteenth century. Volume III pays particular attention to photobooks published after World War II, covering contemporary themes of modern life, from diaristic photography of place and people to twentieth-century propaganda books and some of the finest works to emerge from the recent self-publishing boom. The Photobook volumes represent a valuable catalogue of rare and important photobooks, and since Phaidon published Volume I in 2004, are now regarded by academics, students and photobook bibliophiles as the definitive works on this subject.

The third and final volume in Phaidon's acclaimed Photobook series, hailed as 'the most important contribution to the field since modern histories of photography began to appear in the early 20th century' (photo-eye). This comprehensive study of the contemporary photobook brings the history of the genre fully up to date, highlighting over 200 books dating from World War II to the present day. Photographer Martin Parr and co-author Gerry Badger offer a fresh approach to photographic history, focusing on the development of photography in its published form and covering key genres such as conflict, memory, society, place and desire .