The Sacred Earth

Hans B. Neumann is a history lecturer at Scarborough College, University
of Toronto.

Milne, author of several well-received books demonstrating his skills
with the camera, in this book expands both the geographic limits and
approaches to his craft. After 15 years, more than 300,000 miles of
world-wide travel, and nearly 3000 rolls of film, he has produced a
folio-sized, hardcover book full of stunning color photographs and
thoughtful text.

As the title of the book suggests, Milne directs his energies to
capturing the spirit (a term he defines very broadly) of 140 of the
world’s sacred places. He separates these places into five categories
(legacies from antiquity, waters of cleansing, havens of renewal, the
high places, and places of transformation), and accompanies each shot
with a brief exposition of his response to the site.

A foreword by the Dalai Lama puts an appropriate touch on the book’s
spiritual focus.

The photographs are uniformly outstanding. They permit an armchair,
whirlwind tour of our wondrous planet as seen through the eyes of an
inspired master photographer. Particularly evocative are photographs of
Angel Falls in Venezuela, the Cuernos in Paine National Park in Chile,
and Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu National Park, Australia. Each
photographed site is identified with the book’s corresponding page
number on an extremely useful world map.

These photographs can be enjoyed by anyone with an appreciation for the
varied and beautiful places of our globe, even those who may be “put
off” by the somewhat mystical and spiritual bent of the text. However,
those who enjoy the text may want to acquire the detailed companion to
this book: The Pilgrim’s Guide to the Sacred Earth by Sherrill Miller
(Milne’s wife).

The Sacred Earth is a masterpiece of sensitive, pioneering photography,
some of it reminiscent of Freeman Patterson’s camera work. It serves
to remind us of the essential unity of human experience on our planet.