The Great Nadar: The Man Behind the Camera by Adam Begley chronicles the life of Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, a Frenchman born in 1820 who worked as a photographer, caricaturist, journalist, novelist, and balloonist. What an interesting biography! Nadar was “the first great portrait photographer,” setting precedents in photography today. I loved reading about Nadar’s adventures, as he explored photography in its infancy. His entrepreneurial spirit is intriguing to observe. Though the book is primarily composed of text, it does contain many of Nadar’s photographs (though not all of them are rated G). Begley writes with detail, leaving the reader well informed about this historical figure.