Review
"This book as a whole is a fervent plea for the preservation of threatened environments and, by extension, of the herons, storks and spoonbills, among others, who live in them."
--SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER-CHRONICLE
"The author has admirably succeeded in his purpose, and his own marvellous colour photographs dramatically highlight the important questions of conservation that he considers."
--COUNTRYSIDE MONTHLY
"It is a thinking man's book, but equally a thinking young person's book. It is their tomorrow we are playing with."
--DAILY TELEGRAPH
"Thanks, James Hancock, for a fine journey."
--FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST
"Hancock has written many books and articles on wetland birds during his 50 years of work with wildlife conservation projects. He has worked throughout the world, and as an officer in several international ornithological societies he has made fervent pleas for the preservation of threatened wetlands. In this book he reflects on the flora and fauna from a selected dozen of the most splendid wetland ecosystems on our planet, sharing his lifelong love of these great natural places. The natural beauty of the wetland birds and their environments are displayed throughout with more than 200 fine color photographs taken by the author."
--C. Leck in CHOICE (October 1999)
"A coffee-table book, but one which carries a plea for the conservation of these delicate and threatened habitats. Twelve sites around the world are visited and many superb photographs of the birds are included. James Hancock writes in an easily readable style and yet the text adds depth to the book."
--BTO NEWS (September/October 1999)
"One of the main attractions of the book has to be the photographs, all taken by the author and they are a job to look through."
--Mark Holling in SCOTTISH BIRDS (September 1999)
"The photographs are magnificent, and they promote the desire to visit all of the 12 great wedlands described."
--BIRDING (December 2000)
"...many people will want to buy this wonderful book. The author's photographs really are superb and a delight to the eye and many will buy the book just to browse the stunning bird images."
--THE EARTHLIFE WEB
"More than just a tour, the book describes important historical and ecological features of the sites. The brilliant photographs that adorn its pages are more than a mere portraiture; many images reveal unique features of an avian personality or focus attention on age, seasonal or geographic variation of soft part coloration."
--NORTH AMERICAN BIRD BANDER (1999)
"A personal account of James Hancock's travel experiences in twelve of the worlds key wetlands, from Iceland to India. It is heavily illustrated with photographs of the important wetland bird species. A fine resource for the traveller with a conscience and a keen interest in these habitats--inspiring and informative."
--WILDFOWL AND WETLANDS (Autumn 1999)
From the Back Cover
Wetlands are special places whose complex ecosystems provide homes for rich and varied assemblages of bird inhabitants. Herons, storks, ibises, spoonbills, anhingas, shorebirds and birds of prey all make a living there, each according to their own special needs. Although similar in many ways, the different wetland areas show many peculiarities in their individual habits and ecology, and make for fascinating comparisons and contrasts.
Wetlands are also a dwindling part of the world's rich mix of habitats, everywhere endangered by pollution, land drainage and the overuse of water resources for urban and agricultural development.
James Hancock has fed his lifelong love of these often wild, but always exciting places with years of travel and expedition to most of the great wetlands of the world, both as a tourist and explorer or as a tour leader, visiting lecturer and ambassador for various conservation bodies. His skill as a photographer has found ample scope in documenting the birds he has observed and the splendour of the wetlands in which they live.
But there is more in this book than fine photographs. Hancock's appreciation and understanding of the biology and ecology of wetlands and their birds and his concern for the conservation problems facing them inform his lively text. Anecdote and science alike are used to plead for a better understanding of wetlands and the need to conserve them for the future. Here, there is food for the soul and the intellect.
