| ||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Margaret Lowman, author of Life in the Treetops and co- author of It's a Jungle Up There: More Tales from the Treetops
"The definitive single volume on the Galapagos that
ecotourists and readers from all walks of life have been
awaiting."
ecotourists and readers from all walks of life have been
awaiting."
Product Description
One thousand kilometres due west of Ecuador, where four major ocean currents meet, a series of vast undersea volcanoes break the surface of the Pacific. The summits of these volcanoes form 13 main islands and more than 100 other islets and rocks, scattered over 400 kilometres of open ocean. Splendidly isolated and otherworldly in their strangeness, early explorers called them 'Las Encantadas' - the Enchanted Isles. Charles Darwin would eventually call them 'a world within itself', a near-perfect evolutionary laboratory. But they are now better known by the name of the giant tortoises discovered there. These are, of course, the remarkable islands of the Galapagos. Accompanying the major "BBC2" series, "Galapagos" is a fascinating, beautifully illustrated account of the islands' journey through time, and their geological, biological and human stories. Discover why the islands have just the right balance of conditions needed to create one of the most varied ecosystems on the planet - a paradise for scientists and nature-lovers. Take a close, detailed look at the stunning variety of animal and plant life, from blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds to lava lizards and giant tortoises, in the islands' many distinct habitats - an embarrassment of riches for such a small area. And for anyone planning - or even just dreaming of - a visit to the Galapagos, a comprehensive gazetteer section is included, with essential wildlife, geology and visitor information. A living museum of natural history, born from fire and ultimately destined to die beneath the waves, the islands of the Galapagos exist on an endless geological conveyor belt. They are a harsh home, resisting man's attempts to exploit them, and they have much to teach us about our natural world - its origins and how we can best conserve it. Both fragile and furious, the Galapagos is unlike any other place on Earth.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
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
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've recently returned from the Galapagos, the islands & animals were amazing, but since buying and reading this book I realise there is SO much more I could have seen and should have been aware of! As well as being an up to date guidebook in its own right, this beautifully illustrated book also gives wonderfully written accounts of the islands' history, (mad murder mysteries), geology and nature (friendly sharks & the penguins' story is fascinating) as well as the main-man, Mr Darwin's star-turn on the islands! Excellent value - a book that delivers much more than just a spotter's guide. I would recommend it as both a reference and companion on a Galapagos trip - just buy yours before you go! (I'm as sick as a Galapagos finch...)
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A really useful and interesting book to get you up and running before a trip to the Galapagos. Well written and illustrated but I would recommend linking it with watching the linked BBC double DVD. The DVD is worth watching before and after the trip
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was designed to accompany the brilliant TV series Galapagos [2006] and is structured in the same way. It begins with chapters on the geology of the area, the discovery of the islands, and Charles Darwin. Three chapters follow on the flora and fauna, and a final two on the conservation and future of the archipelago.
Very few plants are covered in any detail and only the more famous animal inhabitants get any real coverage. The rest are covered in a basic description of the habitat. You just don't get a feel for the vibrancy and the struggle for life that you do from the TV series.
The photography is good, with some impressive full-page spreads. But it is not spectacular and they could have done better with such fascinating and apparantly 'tame' subject matter.
The book concludes with a 45-page `gazetteer', which includes species profiles, all the information you could need for a great trip to the Galapagos, and extensive further reading. This is an excellent resource if you're planning a trip, but is a shame for those who aren't as it takes up a 20% chunk of the book.
Overall this book is a decent representation of the Galapagos Islands, and will be an inspiration for many to go and visit. However if you've seen the series this will add nothing new, and if you haven't it's cheaper to buy the DVD than this book.
Very few plants are covered in any detail and only the more famous animal inhabitants get any real coverage. The rest are covered in a basic description of the habitat. You just don't get a feel for the vibrancy and the struggle for life that you do from the TV series.
The photography is good, with some impressive full-page spreads. But it is not spectacular and they could have done better with such fascinating and apparantly 'tame' subject matter.
The book concludes with a 45-page `gazetteer', which includes species profiles, all the information you could need for a great trip to the Galapagos, and extensive further reading. This is an excellent resource if you're planning a trip, but is a shame for those who aren't as it takes up a 20% chunk of the book.
Overall this book is a decent representation of the Galapagos Islands, and will be an inspiration for many to go and visit. However if you've seen the series this will add nothing new, and if you haven't it's cheaper to buy the DVD than this book.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Galapagos: Islands that changed the world
This book was ordered to accompany a DVD of the same title. Both items arrived in good time for Christmas and made very welcome presents. Read more
Published 16 months ago by D. L. Davies
Exotic places
Bought as a present. The person I bought it for said it was smashing,but then they would wouldn't they?
Published on 24 Dec 2009 by Terence Bowen
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
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.
|
