Last Place on Earth (National Geographic) (v. 1&2) [Hardcover]

Mike Fay (Author), Michael Nichols (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: National Geographic | Publication Date: September 1, 2005

The photographs in The Last Place on Earth are the best wildlife images in the world today. The groundbreaking photography in Volume I presents wildlife as if the viewer is on the scene and closeup. This is accomplished with gadgetry developed at National Geographic under the guidance of Michael Nichols. The new technology allows Nichols to set aside the usual telephoto lenses that magnify and flatten subjects, freeing him to use more normal lenses with special lighting. The resulting pictures come the closest to bridging the gap between wildlife and humanity than any photographs have ever done. Pictures cover the rough and amazing beauty of central Africa's wildlife and terrain-many images have never been seen-for example, surfing hippos and sun-bathing buffalo. Volume II highlights a facsimile of Mike Fay's original journal. It is real-life drama at its very best. Nichols' stunning black and white images of the arduous journey illustrate Fay's detailed entries. Together the set constructs a portrait of central African forests before "their greatness succumbs to the inexorable nibble of humanity." Threats by armed-poachers, disease, and despair are offset by moments of utter astonishment: Fay befriends a gorilla, Ebobo, whom he first met seven years before. At one point along the trip the gorilla was seen waiting for Fay to catch up. As a result of Nichols' and Fay's work, the government of Gabon created 13 national parks protecting 11,294 square miles.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This two-volume boxed set is worth every penny for the travel and ecology-minded reader. Together, the set lends graphic and poignant documentation to a spectacularly successful conservation drive by nature photographer Nichols and ecologist Fay. They spent 12 years enjoying and recording the pristine (and easily destructible) flora and fauna system in West Africa (their efforts resulted in the establishment of 13 national parks in the nation of Gabon). Volume 1 of this set showcases their wildlife photography, and the images are simply breathtaking on both subject matter and aesthetic levels. Volume 2 presents excerpts from Fay's handwritten journal during a specific 456-day, 2,000-mile trek he and Nichols took in the region, and his descriptions are every bit as thrilling as the photos. Give this to jaded armchair travelers tired of reading about rehabbing that Tuscan villa. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792238818
• ISBN-13: 978-0792238812
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 2.8 x 15.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #488,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > History > Africa > Gabon
  • #11 in Books > History > Africa > Republic of the Congo
  • #23 in Books > Travel > Africa > Coastal West Africa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Extraordinary Treasure, September 13, 2005

By 

S. Wilson "tradersww" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Place on Earth (National Geographic) (v. 1&2) (Hardcover)

This "boxed set", consisting of a large case containing two extraordinary books, is one of the most satisfying purchases I have ever made.

In case you don't know, here is the background on the "Last Place on Earth":

Mike Fay is a scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society who, outraged at destruction Congo Basin forests, decided to walk across the heart of Africa in order to document the undisturbed wild before it was lost. Over a year later, after innumerable hardships, wonders and adventures, Fay finally emerged from the forest to the waters of the Atlantic, ready to report back to the world what he had learned. Fay's stories and Nichols' photographs of this "megatransect" were so affecting that Gabon's president, in an unprecedented boon to world conservation, decided that his country's forests had value beyond their timber and designated vast tracts of Gabon as new national parks.

The first and much larger of the two books in this set, contains at least 100 full-color, full-page photographs of the landscapes, animals and peoples of the African forests. The photographs are amazing: gritty and beautiful. They are the closest thing to being there.

The second book contains black and white photos of Fay and his troop as they make their way across the Congo, and text by Fay himself. We learn how Fay came to be infatuated with saving the wilds as a teenager at a Maine summer camp, and how he came up with the idea of the megatransect, how he endured it, and how he was able to use such a "stunt" to create enormous changes in Gabon.

In the end, Fay seems to be the environmental version of Gandhi: gaunt, with a line in his eyes, an unbreakable will, and a singular focus on protecting what is most precious to him: wild nature.

If the nearly, $100 price tag for this set seems a little steep, know that a portion of your money is going towards preserving the forests and wildlife of central Africa. It is among the best $100 you will ever spend.

Highest Recommendation.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Record of an Incredible Expedition, September 6, 2005

By 

Edward Cotton (San Rafael, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Last Place on Earth (National Geographic) (v. 1&2) (Hardcover)

These books are a remarkable record of Mike Nichols and Mike Fay's trip across Congo and Gabon. A trip that took them to the deepest reaches of Africa's jungle and in-touch with wildlife and people never previosly recorded by a western expedition.

Nicholas photographs offer a candid glimpse at human and animal life inside these incredible countries. Thanks to the efforts of Fay and Nichols, these countries now have national parks that can protect at least some of this land.

You can also do your bit, as some of the proceeds of the book's sale go to conservation efforts in Africa.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the money, September 19, 2006

By 

A. Chang - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Last Place on Earth (National Geographic) (v. 1&2) (Hardcover)

This book contains some of the most spectacular photographs I have ever seen. There are amazing close-ups of reptiles, amphibians, and insects, aerial views of Africa, and stirring photos of mammals. A few photos are disturbing to see, such as the look of a terrified baby monkey clinging on to its mother shot dead by a hunter. Each photo is printed FULL size on thick quality semi-glossy paper on a single side, so if you wanted to, you could cut out certain photos and put it in a frame. Best of all, the author mentions that "The proceeds from the sales of this book go to fund conservation efforts in Africa".