Newly Arrived:
HBW and Birdlife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World: Volume One: Non-Passerines by Josep Del Hoyo and Nigel Collar [Lynx Edicions in association with BirdLife International, 2014; Lynx Edicions; NHBS; Buteo Books]
Publisher’s synopsis: The first ever Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World is really two works in one. It is a complete checklist whose taxonomy incorporates the most up-to-date information and an exhaustive methodology (Tobias et al. 2010) in an entirely systematic and consistent way. At the same time, it contains illustrations and distribution maps for every bird species in the world. This includes the original artwork from the HBW series, as well as hundreds of new illustrations, all in two compact volumes.
My first impression: I am still reading this book and plan to write a more in-depth (and definitely glowing) review as soon as possible. Basically, this book has a consistent format: the left side of this oversized reference is filled with species accounts, whilst the right side is filled with full-colour paintings showing each species (both male and female for dimorphic taxa). Since this book covers 4,372 extant species of birds, the font is tiny -- so you may need a magnifying glass if you lack perfect vision or good lighting. The book follows the latest taxonomic revisions, so for example, the parrots -- now recognised as sister taxon to songbirds (read more here) -- appear at the end of the book instead of somewhere near the middle.
The Passenger Pigeon by Errol Fuller [Princeton University Press, 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK; Amazon US]
Publisher’s synopsis: At the start of the nineteenth century, Passenger Pigeons were perhaps the most abundant birds on the planet, numbering literally in the billions. The flocks were so large and so dense that they blackened the skies, even blotting out the sun for days at a stretch. Yet by the end of the century, the most common bird in North America had vanished from the wild. In 1914, the last known representative of her species, Martha, died in a cage at the Cincinnati Zoo.
This stunningly illustrated book tells the astonishing story of North America’s Passenger Pigeon, a bird species that -- like the Tyrannosaur, the Mammoth, and the Dodo -- has become one of the great icons of extinction. Errol Fuller describes how these fast, agile, and handsomely plumaged birds were immortalized by the ornithologist and painter John James Audubon, and captured the imagination of writers such as James Fenimore Cooper, Henry David Thoreau, and Mark Twain. He shows how widespread deforestation, the demand for cheap and plentiful pigeon meat, and the indiscriminate killing of Passenger Pigeons for sport led to their catastrophic decline. Fuller provides an evocative memorial to a bird species that was once so important to the ecology of North America, and reminds us of just how fragile the natural world can be.
Published in the centennial year of Martha’s death, The Passenger Pigeon features rare archival images as well as haunting photos of live birds.
My first impression: This book is being released next week, so you can order it today and receive it hot-off-the-presses. It’s crammed full of images -- some I’ve never seen before anywhere (and you probably already know I am writing reviews of two other books about the passenger pigeon, so I’ve seen nearly everything there is to be seen by now). A more detailed review of this book is forthcoming, so I won’t tell you any more here, except to say that this book is worth buying and reading.
Harry Potter Film Wizardry (Revised and expanded) by Warner Bros [Bantam Press; Revised edition edition, 2012; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK; Amazon US]
Publisher’s synopsis: Immerse yourself in the world of the spectacular Harry Potter film series, and learn why Yule Ball ice sculptures never melt, where Galleons, Sickles and Knuts are really “minted”, how to get a Hippogriff to work with actors, about the inspiration behind Hogwarts castle, and why Dementors move the way they do.
Written and designed in collaboration with the cast and crew that brought J.K. Rowling’s celebrated novels to the silver screen, Harry Potter: Film Wizardry delivers an enchanting interactive experience, transporting readers to the wizarding world by sharing filmmaking secrets, unpublished photography and artwork, and exclusive stories from the stars. Full of removable, facsimile reproductions of props and paper ephemera from the movies, this collectible volume offers a privileged look at the Harry Potter films and the talented group of Muggles that has made true movie magic.
My first impression: Yes, I did buy this oversized book the last time I was in London. I first saw it nearly one year ago and have been looking through it every time I visited London until finally, one day, I purchased it. I guess that alone is recommendation enough, since the book is fairly expensive. But it’s nicely produced and interesting, and contains all sorts of fun items, items like a train ticket for the Hogwarts Express, an envelope containing an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a small book filled with stickers for labelling bottles of potions ingredients, a sleeve containing a smaller (yet still quite large) version of the Maurader’s Map, a Ministry of Magic identification card and all sorts of wonderful trinkets that will delight Harry Potter fans of all ages. It is crammed full of photographs and includes interviews with the actors, producers and the huge army of creative and technical people who made this magical world real.
Field Guides:
Every field guide that Princeton University Press publishes is superb: accurate, beautifully produced yet resilient enough for field use, and a joy to use. Once again, Princeton has raised the bar for field guides with these two books about trees of North America. Even if you don’t love trees, you’ll love these books.
Trees of Eastern North America by Gil Nelson, Christopher J. Earle, Richard Spellenberg and Amy K. Hughes [Princeton University Press, 2014; Amazon UK; Amazon US]
Publisher’s synopsis: Covering 825 species, more than any comparable field guide, Trees of Eastern North America is the most comprehensive, best illustrated, and easiest-to-use book of its kind. Presenting all the native and naturalized trees of the eastern United States and Canada as far west as the Great Plains--including those species found only in tropical and subtropical Florida and northernmost Canada--the book features superior descriptions; thousands of meticulous color paintings by David More that illustrate important visual details; range maps that provide a thumbnail view of distribution for each native species; “Quick ID” summaries; a user-friendly layout; scientific and common names; the latest taxonomy; information on the most recently naturalized species; keys to leaves and twigs; and an introduction to tree identification, forest ecology, and plant classification and structure. The easy-to-read descriptions present details of size, shape, growth habit, bark, leaves, flowers, fruit, flowering and fruiting times, habitat, and range. Using a broad definition of a tree, the book covers many small, overlooked species normally thought of as shrubs. With its unmatched combination of breadth and depth, this is an essential guide for every tree lover.
My first impression: This flexicover-bound book features beautiful full-colour paintings of mature trees, their bark, leaves, flowers and seeds as well as other useful features that can be used to identify each species in the field. The trees are presented in taxonomic order by family, along with an overview of each family. Individual species accounts also include a range map. I’d say this book is compact because it is, but it is nonetheless quite large because it presents a lot of tree species!
Trees of Western North America by Richard Spellenberg, Christopher J. Earle, Gil Nelson and Amy K. Hughes [Princeton University Press, 2014; Amazon UK; Amazon US]
Publisher’s synopsis: Covering 630 species, more than any comparable field guide, Trees of Western North America is the most comprehensive, best illustrated, and easiest-to-use book of its kind. Presenting all the native and naturalized trees of the western United States and Canada as far east as the Great Plains, the book features superior descriptions; thousands of meticulous color paintings by David More that illustrate important visual details; range maps that provide a thumbnail view of distribution for each native species; “Quick ID” summaries; a user-friendly layout; scientific and common names; the latest taxonomy; information on the most recently naturalized species; a key to leaves; and an introduction to tree identification, forest ecology, and plant classification and structure. The easy-to-read descriptions present details of size, shape, growth habit, bark, leaves, flowers, fruit, flowering and fruiting times, habitat, and range. Using a broad definition of a tree, the book covers many small, overlooked species normally thought of as shrubs, as well as treelike forms of cacti and yuccas. With its unmatched combination of breadth and depth, this is an essential guide for every tree lover.
My first impression: This flexicover-bound book features beautiful full-colour paintings of mature trees, their bark, leaves, flowers and seeds as well as other useful features that can be used to identify each species in the field. The trees are presented in taxonomic order by family, along with an overview of each family. Individual species accounts also include a range map. As an ornithologist, the one thing that surprises me is that there are fewest tree species in western North American than in eastern North America, even though the reverse is true for birds species.
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When she’s not got her nose in a book, GrrlScientist can also be found here: Maniraptora. She’s very active on twitter @GrrlScientist and sometimes lurks on social media: facebook, G+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
