Is Ansel Adams' The Print a good beginner's bible?

[ChrisBCS]

...for darkroom printing black and white today?

[Sal Santamaura]

In my opinion, yes. However, it is necessary that a reader/student:

• Have good language comprehension skills
• Be persistent and willing to make prints, think, re-read and try again
• Not expect an Internet chat-type experience where "answers" are spoon fed.

In other words, if you're OK with work, I know of no better book about printing to start with.

[vinny]

Yes.
Another good book to have in general is "way beyond monochrome".

[Jon Shiu]

I would recommend Henry Horenstein's books: Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual, and Beyond Basic Photography: A Technical Manual. Much more accessible.

Jon

[Bruce Watson]

...for darkroom printing black and white today?

Yes. Some would argue that it's the book.

[paulr]

I remember liking it. Probably most helpful if you think of it as a primer and not a bible. Especially concerning AA's esthetic opinions and assumptions (all of which are rooted in a time long ago, and subject to much debate).

The technical examples may be a bit frustrating to a contemporary student, since so many of the materials he mentions don't exist anymore.

[David Karp]

In addition, I recommend an older or current version of Carson Graves' Elements of Black and White Printing. More nuts and bolts. A good companion to the AA book.

[LF_rookie_to_be]

Jack H. Coote's Monochrome Darkroom Practice

[Mark Woods]

When I first got into B&W photography, I read the Negative and did all of the exercises, then I read the Print and did all the exercises. It's a great foundation, and as Paulr said, a lot of the items he mentions don't exist. You can still make it work.

[ChrisBCS]

Thank you everyone! Reading these threads and the books has me getting even more excited.