The Lords of the Savannah - Leopards & Cheetas (Art of Being) [Hardcover]

Christine Denis-Huot (Author), Michel Denis-Huot (Author)

Book Description

Series: Art of Being | Publication Date: May 2, 2006

Leopards and cheetahs embody the wild beauty of Africa. In this spectacular photographic study, the husband-and-wife team of distinguished naturalists Christine and Michel Denis-Hout provides readers with a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of these compelling creatures. Their exceptional photography vividly brings to life the excitement of a young cheetah's first hunt, the languid relaxation of a leopard's midday nap, and the sheer strength and beauty of these glorious big cats in their natural habitat. The cheetah's legendary speed is documented in a series of exceptional photographs, while the leopard's notorious stealth can be felt in depictions of it's sinuous descent from a perch high in a tree. Everyday activities such as courting, grooming, and caring for their young are captured in unprecedented close-ups. The gleaming fangs of a yawning leopard, the intensity of a pouncing cheetah, and the golden grasses of the savannah trampled by a herd of retreating zebra are just some of the evocative sights conveyed in Lords of the Savannah. The lively text provides the latest findings on the habits and habitats of leopards and cheetahs, and expresses the authors' admiration and affection for these animals.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christine and Michel Denis-Hout have collaborated on a number of articles and books on African wildlife. They have written a number of books for both young readers and adult audiences, including The Elephant, Majestic Kenya, and The Savage Arc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: White Star (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8854400890
• ISBN-13: 978-8854400894
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 1 x 12.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,346,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Field Guides > Mammals

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Juxtaposition of Africa's Spotted Cats, September 12, 2009

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Enjolras (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lords of the Savannah - Leopards & Cheetas (Art of Being) (Hardcover)

This book should probably be more accurately called "Spotted Ones of the Savannah." Despite that, I really like the idea of one book covering both Cheetahs and Leopards. I actually bought this book because I wasn't crazy about the other books that focused solely on one species or the other. It isn't the most obvious comparison and the two are very different animals (Leopards are more closely related to Lions than Cheetahs). Regardless, the book works well. The pages usually alternate between pictures of each animal, with some text. In fact, several times throughout, the book typically features a Leopard one page and a Cheetah on the next in almost exactly the same pose, whether a vertical shot of them walking or a wide show of them standing on a tree. This makes it easy to compare the two animals and appreciate some of the finer differences, such as the way each holds its tail. Thus, the book becomes more than just a collection of photographs of each animal and really becomes a work of art.

The pictures themselves are fabulous. I have high standards since I have gone on safaris and photographed both Leopards and Cheetahs myself [...]). However, while tourists may see Leopards or Cheetahs, this book captures them in situations most tourists won't observe. They really capture the vivid colors and personalities of these animals. This is a wonderful book to simply flip through when it's too rainy to visit the zoo.

By the way, it's nice to see that finally somebody figured out how to make a coffee-table photobook. Too often in the wildlife photography books I buy, the pictures are obstructed by the crease running down the center along the spine of the book. Lords of the Savannah is careful about placing pictures dead center and avoiding this crease. Furthermore, the spine of the book is relatively flexible, so the book can be opened widely, allowing you to see even the center of a full-page photo.

The text is interesting but relatively short and basic, even for a coffee-table style photobook. It's certainly not a science book. Sometimes the text jumps quickly between the two animals, when a black bar or space indicating a change would have been nice. However, this book is mostly about pictures, not the text, and in that respect The Lords of the Savannah - Leopards & Cheetahs (Art of Being...) succeeds wildly.

[FYI - for those of you who might notice, the book itself spells "Cheetahs" correctly - the misspelling on the Amazon.com page of "Cheetas" is not found in the book and seems to be the mistake of Amazon.com]

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leopards and Cheethas, April 18, 2009

By 

Edouard Paiva - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lords of the Savannah - Leopards & Cheetas (Art of Being...) (Hardcover)

I recommend this Complete book of Leopards and Cheetahs, you will find information about their size, distribution, how they hunt, prey animals, interactions with other carnivores of africa and all parts of their life.