From a librarian’s point of view, this book will be put on the shelves of the “media archaeology” section, but it is definitely a must read for those interested in the field of cultural history as well as art, media and technology studies. It is a wonderful example of how to do research in a domain that may seem overcrowded (the history of the gaze), but demonstrates that new objects, questions, perspectives and above all new relationships can be successfully transformed into new territories.
The bird’s-eye view is far from an unknown or understudied topic. It is a fundamental item in any form of film studies, while our contemporary imagination ceaselessly frames it in a context of danger and warfare (the view from above has now become the view of the drone hunting the object or place to strike). The discussion of this double commonplace is the starting point of...