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Product Description
Review
read this book, get excited, go to France --BBC Wildlife, April 2009
a book to salivate over --British Wildlife, April 2009
a travel book to inspire, entertain and inform --French Magazine, May 2009
a real treat
--Destination France, March 2009
a book to salivate over --British Wildlife, April 2009
a travel book to inspire, entertain and inform --French Magazine, May 2009
a real treat
--Destination France, March 2009
Product Description
France boasts an amazing diversity of habitats and wildlife, from Ibex and Chamois scaling the cliff faces of the Alps and colonies of Puffins and Gannets on the rugged coasts of Brittany to one of the last western strong-holds of the European Mink on the Atlantic coast and flocks of Flamingos shimmering in the heat as they feed in the wetlands of Camargue. France is one of the richest countries in Europe in terms of flora and fauna - its mammals include Wolf, Lynx and the remarkable Pyrenean Desman. It also boasts one of the highest totals of breeding bird species in Europe, some of the best butterfly sites, and an outstanding array of wildflowers. "Wild France" celebrates the landscapes and natural history of this surprisingly diverse country. Expert naturalist Bob Gibbons examines the geography and climate, the many different habitat types and the remarkable variety of wildlife, while 250 superb colour photographs dramatically illustrate the species and places mentioned in the text.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was given this book as a Christmas present as I am both passionate about wildlife and France. This book , with its wonderful photography, combines both.
The first section deals with the geography of France and explains the variety of habitat and why there are differences in climate throughout the various regions which iltimately reflects the variety of wildlife. Since my knowledge of the most rural parts of France is sketchy, I found this particularly useful but the remaining 2/3rds of this publication is where my interest lies. A significant proprtion of the book is given over to explain just how this contributes to the diversity and later in the book there are some useful maps which allow you to identify both the region and natural parks / reservations.
There are chapters on all categories of wildlife but, although my interest is mainly ornithology, I found the most interesting sections of the book to be on those subjects about which I know very little such as reptiles, amphibians and wild flowers. However, as pointed out in other reviews, this is very much a "coffee table" book and I think it's main weakness is that it is not very comprehensive. The chapter of birds could have been longer and I found it frustrating that certain things like plants, reptiles or insects are described in some detail in the text but then are missing from the selection of illustrations. It was amazing to learn just how few good French guides there are to wildlife and the whole book left me with the impression that conservation in this region is atleast 100 years behing the UK. Given the richness of it's flora and fauna, this is a national disgrace. All in all, this book would benefit from being another 100 pages longer.
In summary, this is a very beautiful book and ideal for dipping into (liked the information set in the boxes that described, for example, the varity of bat species in one region) but it is unsatisfactory as a comprehensive guide of any form of wildlife. anyone looking for a field guide or something specialist, should look elsewhere. The photography is superb and will delight all fans of natural history.
The first section deals with the geography of France and explains the variety of habitat and why there are differences in climate throughout the various regions which iltimately reflects the variety of wildlife. Since my knowledge of the most rural parts of France is sketchy, I found this particularly useful but the remaining 2/3rds of this publication is where my interest lies. A significant proprtion of the book is given over to explain just how this contributes to the diversity and later in the book there are some useful maps which allow you to identify both the region and natural parks / reservations.
There are chapters on all categories of wildlife but, although my interest is mainly ornithology, I found the most interesting sections of the book to be on those subjects about which I know very little such as reptiles, amphibians and wild flowers. However, as pointed out in other reviews, this is very much a "coffee table" book and I think it's main weakness is that it is not very comprehensive. The chapter of birds could have been longer and I found it frustrating that certain things like plants, reptiles or insects are described in some detail in the text but then are missing from the selection of illustrations. It was amazing to learn just how few good French guides there are to wildlife and the whole book left me with the impression that conservation in this region is atleast 100 years behing the UK. Given the richness of it's flora and fauna, this is a national disgrace. All in all, this book would benefit from being another 100 pages longer.
In summary, this is a very beautiful book and ideal for dipping into (liked the information set in the boxes that described, for example, the varity of bat species in one region) but it is unsatisfactory as a comprehensive guide of any form of wildlife. anyone looking for a field guide or something specialist, should look elsewhere. The photography is superb and will delight all fans of natural history.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is the ideal choice for lovers of the country wildlife,I bought this book for my son in law who adores the outdoor activities of named animals contained in this book.He lives in France so the accuracy of it's content will be very useful for him.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
interesting book, lovely photos etc.lots of interesting information about the regions in france, a casual type of book I wouldn't purchase it if I was a serious wildlife enthusiast
Most Recent Customer Reviews
hardly Wild Ftrance
Very, very disappointing book. I live in France and was not even interested in this book, for me a complete waste of time.
Published on 23 Feb 2010 by P. J. Archer
photographic delight
This is a beautiful book. I have bought it for my son, who is married to a French woman and is getting to know France. Read more
Published on 31 May 2009 by Mrs. F. Moulin
A magificent book
This is a fantastic book - every bit as good as the sister volume 'Wild Spain'. It's easily the best English-language book for learning about the natural history of France, and... Read more
Published on 25 April 2009 by Andrew Hodgson
Fantastic book!
A marvellous book with fascinating text and many gorgeous pictures of France's habitats and the wildlife they support!
Published on 17 April 2009 by Hydra
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