I love Degas, so don't get me wrong. For a book as big as it is, it's lacking. Way too much text at the expense of Degas wonderful work. It is a big book, why are there so few big reproductions in it. There could be more color images too. This would have been a great book had they made use of the size and done a better layout between text and image, as all books on artist should be. It also seems like they've left out a lot of good stuff the should have had room for. Overall, it just seems like not much thought went into the actual layout of the book.
I don't recommend it as a keeper book on Degas, however if you find a cheap copy, why not, it is Degas afterall and the reproductions do look decent.