Birds of America is one of the best known natural history books ever produced and also one of the most valuable - a complete set sold at auction in December 2010 for £7.3 million, which is a world record. First published in double elephant size (approximately a metre tall) in the first half of the nineteenth century, it is famous for its stunning life-size illustrations of birds set within landscaped backgrounds. The book was issued in parts over eleven years and only around 200 completed sets were ever produced. Less than 120 of these survive today, locked away in museums, galleries and private collections around the world. To create this complete edition of Audubon's masterpiece, each of the 435 beautiful hand-coloured prints was specially photographed from the Natural History Museum's own original edition. The artworks are accompanied by the scientific descriptions that were used in the original Birds of America and there is also a new introduction by world-renowned bird artist, ornithologist and author David Allen Sibley.
| ||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £6.25
Trade in Birds of America for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £6.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Learn more
|
|
There is a newer edition of this item:
|
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Review
'Natural history books have to compete with the BBC's Frozen Planet, and the Natural History Museum's The Birds of America does just that.' --Time Out
'Mesmerising' --The Observer
'The Natural History Museum has now reproduced a glorious complete edition.' --The Bookseller
'Mesmerising' --The Observer
'The Natural History Museum has now reproduced a glorious complete edition.' --The Bookseller
About the Author
John James Audubon was a naturalist and painter and is considered one of the greatest bird artists of all time. Born in Haiti in 1785, he spent much of his life travelling North America observing, catching and drawing birds and animals in remarkable detail. Using a variety of materials to create a highly dramatic style, he painted almost 500 species of the 700 or so regularly occurring North American bird species. Audubon is most famous for his life-size illustrations of birds and for the sheer size of the book in which they appeared.
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I own the baby elephant folio version, but having had the chance to compare the two, I find the reproductions in this edition more appealing. The colours here are more muted and subtle than in the baby elephant, which can be overly vivid. I also rather like having the prints presented in the order of original publication (rather than organized by bird family), as this goes some way towards recreating what it might have been like to be one of the original subscribers receiving those first and subsequent sets of prints. Unlike the baby elephant, this edition has only a fairly brief introduction, and no notes on individual species/plates, but the pictures themselves are perhaps more eloquent here.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By E. Veldon
Format:Hardcover
I got this today after looking for a well printed edition of Audubon's works.
This meets the bill; printed on heavy paper, clear illustrations, beautiful colours, presented in the original order and presented in a sturdy slip case.
If anyone ever says that science had no eye for beauty then I'll strap them to a chair and make them read this delightful nd playful volume.
This meets the bill; printed on heavy paper, clear illustrations, beautiful colours, presented in the original order and presented in a sturdy slip case.
If anyone ever says that science had no eye for beauty then I'll strap them to a chair and make them read this delightful nd playful volume.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Trigonmoth
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Everyone knows of this book and I already had a reproduction, but this is stunning! Quality is superb and this is a big book, though not as large as the original, of course. It feels as if it has come straight from the author, not something almost 200 years old. I absolutely love it and it is a privilege to own such a work of art.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 12 reviews
4.9 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gift
I bought this as a gift for my daughter and will be taking it to Grand Cayman when I visit. It is rather larger and heavier than I had imagined but I will get it there because I... Read more
Published 1 month ago by A. Whibley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty amazing pictures
Amazing pictures as expected really. Only issue and one thats nice to have is its so very heavy that it really needs somewhere solid to view it.
Published 1 month ago by sunrunner
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Lovely Book
I purchased this book as a christmas gift for my husband who had already expressed an interest in it. Read more
Published 5 months ago by MaryT
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Art, Architecture & Photography
- Books > History
- Books > Science & Nature > Biological Sciences > Animal Sciences > Birds
- Books > Science & Nature > Biological Sciences > Animal Sciences > Habitats > Marine
- Books > Science & Nature > Nature > Wild Animals > Birds
- Books > Scientific, Technical & Medical
- Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Fishing, Birdwatching & Other Outdoor Pursuits > Birdwatching > America
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
