The Circle of life: Wildlife on the African Savannah [Hardcover]

Anup Shah (Author), Manoj Shah (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

The photographs of brothers Anup and Manoj Shah bring to life the spectacular landscape and wildlife of the savannah, the tropical and sub-tropical grasslands that cover much of the African continent. Concentrating on the Serengeti-Masai Mara regions in Kenya and Tanzania, this volume chronicles life and death on the savannah, as lions, giraffes, wildebeest, elephants, gazelles, zebras, hippos, hyenas, baboons and many more species give birth, play, hunt, feed, groom, sleep, mate, migrate and die.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Anup and Manoj Shah, who grew up in Kenya, have made their lives' work photographing the wildlife of the Serengeti-Maasai Mara and the Ngorongoro Crater regions in Kenya and Tanzania. The photos gathered in this generous coffee-table book have appeared in National Geographic and National History, among other magazines. Nature is frozen in its most dramatic moments here: a hyena carries off a dismembered giraffe leg in a light so vivid that one can almost feel the grizzled, torn tendons; lions roar in the act of copulation in a blur that captures the fleeting moment; a martial eagle crouches over a bloody bit of fawn in a photo with startlingly beautiful, painterly colors. The landscape is alive in a photo of two lions watching a coming storm; a spotted hyena, face soaked in blood, pauses and we see the depths of its eyes. Readers get anthropomorphized wildlife ("Females, it seems, are the shoppers, and males are the sellers") on a regular basis thanks to Animal Planet-not exactly original commentary, but the pictures are awe-inspiring nonetheless. Organized by chapters like "Herds and Social Groups," "Grazers and Browsers" and "Light and Energy" with brief text introductions, the book emphasizes the seasonality and intricate diversity of the Savannah. The authors highlight the delicate interdependence of life forms, with a chapter called "Scavengers and Decomposers," and the images themselves argue for the preservation of this vital wilderness. 235 full-color illustrations.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The Brothers Shah, Kenyan-born of Indian parents, are wildlife photographers of unusual grace and depth. The African savannah is an enormous ecosystem of grasses, scattered trees, and millions of animal inhabitants. The result of that combination of elements is this stunning new collection of photographs chronicling life in the Serengeti/Maasai Mara and Ngorongoro Crater Parks of Kenya and Tanzania. Although this region has been well documented, its sheer size and the relative lack of human impact on it mean that there are always new things for photographers to discover. The Shahs have divided their images into 20 chapters, grouped by the ecology of the area, the behavior of the animals, and each group's place in the circle of life. Anup Shah's text introduces each section and provides a primer on the concepts the photos illustrate. It is the pictures themselves that make this a worthwhile purchase: aerial shots of the vast plains, a lone giraffe browsing on the single tree visible in the open savannah, and fire burning the grasses while a white stork feeds. Recommended for all collections. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810945339
• ISBN-13: 978-0810945333
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #561,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > History > Africa > Tanzania
  • #45 in Books > Travel > Africa > Tanzania
  • #54 in Books > Travel > Africa > Kenya

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful & Massive Documentation of Life on the Savannah., July 8, 2004

By 

mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Circle of life: Wildlife on the African Savannah (Hardcover)

Anup and Manoj Shah have distinguished themselves in the populous field of wildlife photography by producing expressive and beautiful portraits of wild animals that document the individuals' lives while achieving impressive aesthetic grace. Many of the brothers' photographs are simply unforgettable works of art that I never tire of looking at. "The Circle of Life" is a massive book that contains 235 photographs of wildlife on the African Savannah. About 40 species of mammal are represented, as well as some birds and reptiles. In the most comprehensive photographic essay of wildlife that I have ever seen, the Shah brothers document the lives of the many animals who live and die in this vast African ecosystem that spans much of Kenya and Tanzania. The authors have organized this photographic odyssey by dividing the book into 20 chapters, each showcasing one aspect of life on the Savannah. The early chapters show us the basic elements that create and sustain life. Some example chapters are: "Driven by Wet and Dry", "Light and Energy", and "Shaped by Fire and Elephants". The book then moves on to the subjects of birth and growing up on the Savannah. "Natural Selection", "Adaptation and Diversity", "Peaceful Coexistence", and "Mother and Offspring", for example. Then we see the lives of adult animals. Some examples are: "Herds and Social Groups", "Grazers and Browsers", and "The Hunters". And finally these animals die, returning to the earth, and the "circle of life" begins again: "Scavengers and Decomposers", "Land and Life". Each chapter begins with an essay written by Anup Shah that explains what that particular facet of life on the Savannah entails and how it fits into the greater life cycle.

The photographs in "The Circle of Life" are mostly one-to-a-page, but there are also 2-page spreads and pages containing two photographs. The reproduction quality is good. All photographs have detailed captions. An index in the back of the book allows the reader to locate text and photographs by species or topic. The index is most helpful considering the size of this volume. If you're familiar with the work of Anup and Manoj Shah through "Nature's Best" magazine, most, but not all, of their "Nature's Best" photographs are included in this book. "The Circle of Life" is a record of wildlife on the African Savannah that is impressive in its size, scope, and beauty. Only photographers who spend an extraordinary amount of time in this environment could have captured so much of the lives of so many species. It's a pleasure to see the results of Anup and Manoj Shah's experience and persistence in one volume. "The Circle of Life" is a fantastic coffee table book for nature photography fans, as well as a great visual resource for anyone studying this ecosystem.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing photos of African wildlife: 5+ stars, November 21, 2006

By 

Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Circle of life: Wildlife on the African Savannah (Hardcover)

These are simply amazing wildlife photos, all from East Africa, where the Shah brothers live. This large-format book is beautifully printed, and these photos are about as good as wildlife photography gets. Lots of everyone's favorite (mine anyway), baby animal photos! Now, almost anyone (even me) can take a cute photo of baby cheetahs in their furpunk soft-Mohawk glory. But the Shahs can photograph a baby *hippo* and make it look cuddly (p. 146)....

The Shahs have the unfair advantage of living in Kenya, so their photos represent literally years of fieldwork in their own backyard (big backyard!). Which wouldn't matter except that they may well be the finest photographers of East African wildlife so far. Astonishing work, absolutely not to be missed. I know, I'm stuck in superlative mode here, but these guys are really, really good, and Harry Abrams has done them up proud.

You've almost certainly seen some of the Shah's photographs, likely in National Geographic -- though if you're as oblivious as me, you may not have noticed their names. I've uploaded a couple of images to jog your memory. Most highly recommended for anyone who's interested in African wildlife. And yes, you should save up for a trip to East Africa someday....

Happy viewing--

Peter D. Tillman

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coffee table book., December 15, 2007

By 

M. J. Doughty (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Circle of life: Wildlife on the African Savannah (Hardcover)

A fantastic collection of African wildlife photographs.

Well worth having for the coffee table!