Natural Patagonia / Patagonia natural: Argentina & Chile [Hardcover]

Marcelo D. Beccaceci (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1998

Legendary Patagonia, the southernmost region of the Americas, is shown in rich photographs by Argentine naturalist Marcelo Beccaceci. Written in Spanish and English throughout, the book takes readers on a panoramic journey through one of the world's most magnificent and varied landscapes, explaining its formation and the remarkable animals and flora that thrive in the rugged reaches of Argentina and Chile. From the snow-crested peaks of the Andes through arid Argentine steppe lands, deep into the Chilean fjords, the imagery astounds. Beccaceci's reverence for the native wildlife, the focus of his life's work as a conservationist, brings the intimate details of NATURAL PATAGONIA to an international audience. Written in Spanish-English bilingual parallel text and illustrated with 120 color photographs and two maps, the book is fully indexed and includes scientific names.

En español - Legendaria Patagonia, la región más austral de América, es desplegada en hermosas imágenes por el naturalista argentino Marcelo Beccaceci. Escrito en Español e Inglés, el libro lleva a los lectores a un viaje panorámico a través de uno de los paisajes más magnficos y variados del mundo, explicando su formación, y la notable fauna y flora que prospera en la agreste vastedad de Argentina y Chile. Desde los picos nevados de los Andes, a lo largo de la árida estepa y hasta los océanos Atlántico y Pacífico, la visión asombra. La veneración de Beccaceci por la vida silvestre nativa, esencia de su trabajo como conservacionista, pone al alcance de un público internacional detalles ntimos de la Patagonia. Incluida 120 fotgrafías a color, 2 mapas, nombres científicos, y índice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A caprice of the gods of the rocks--a place of multi-colored hues and forms, greens and sands, fjords and lakes, ice and boundless snows--"Patagonia" is simply magical." Victoria Lichtschein starts, thus, the prologue to Natural Patagonia, by Marcelo Beccaceci, published in the United States by Pangaea, 1998. Its rich content in images of the south of Argentina and of Chile, legends and beautiful descriptions, make this work a magnificent incentive to travel this vast area of South America. Beccaceci, a veterinarian who researchs species in danger of extinction, is a collaborator with Tiempo de Aventura. His vision as a specialized scientific journalist and photographer, he gives to the reader as a detailed statement relating everything to the conservation of nature. The book is sold in bookstores specializing in the topic. (TIEMPO DE AVENTURA (Argentina), October 1998) -- (TIEMPO DE AVENTURA, October 1998)

Beccaceci is not only devoted to endangered species. He also frequently writes travel journalism and accompanying guides for ecotourists. His third book reflects clearly this facet. Natural Patagonia, in fact, is a pleasant trip through the geological past and environments of the legendary region, by way of tight text and a hundred beautiful images. This work awakens as much the desire to pick up one's suitcases as to protect nature. (VIDA SILVESTRE (Argentina), July-August 1999) -- (VIDA SILVESTRE)

In hardcover, this beautiful book presents--in Spanish and English--the Patagonian region, Argentine as well as Chilean. The text describes the different Patagonian ecosystems (mountains, steppes and coasts), accompanied by abundant color photos. This book, that seems very well suited for foreign tourists who pass through Patagonia, has the double objective of being a source of information on Patagonian natural history and a beautiful collection of photographs that each reader can carry to remember. (AIRE Y SOL (Argentina), August 1999) -- (AIRE Y SOL)

Naturalist-writer-photographer Marcelo Beccaceci has given us Natural Patagonia/Patagonia natural, a splendid book on Patagonia that is graced by interesting, informative easy-to-read text worthy of the photos. The bilingual book's English version is good thanks to the efforts of its US publisher, Pangaea (Saint Paul).

The wildlife photos in this book are outstanding not only for their technical quality, but also because they are natural; the birds appear in a believable size, just a bit closer than you can get walking, thanks to the camera's zoom lens. But the zoom isn't obtrusive; by not taking you impossibly close to the subject, it makes you feel like you are there. And if you aren't, you want to be.

The landscape photos conjure up the land perfectly. Mount Fitz Roy looks as impressive with its snowstorm mantle as it does on one of those days when the sky is cloudless. Details of flowers and cascades have their own music and colour. Definitely, a book that takes Patagonia home to you. -- BUENOS AIRES HERALD, by Bonnie Tucker, 17 October 1998

Other companies have excelled in publishing nature-oriented guides: what differentiates these [books by PANGAEA] from others is a Spanish/English format and intense color photos throughout, which provide a rich multicultural travel exploration accessible to both Spanish speakers and those touring from the outside. Alfonso Silva Lee's Natural Puerto Rico provides an in-depth focus on the wildlife of the island, describing the natural history of insects, reptiles and birds. Marcelo Beccaceci's Natural Patagonia achieves the same for Patagonia. While these are as much science as travel guides, they will especially enrich the tours of any outdoors-oriented adventurer, providing fine natural history insights to accompany any traveler's journey. -- THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, October 1998

The beautiful descriptions and images of this work will help generate the enthusiasm and awareness to protect the landscape, fauna and flora of this wonderful region. -- Marcelo Canevari, National Director, Conservation of Protected Areas, National Parks Administration, Argentina

The photographs in this book speak first and eloquently about the power and attractions of Patagonia. One criterion for evaluating a travel book is whether it makes a reader want to go to a place, while another is, does it bring the place home to the reader. This book satisfies both criteria. Even if you never read a word of the text, you can respond to the photographs with both a sense of wonder that is beckoning and a feeling of imaginative engagement that is intimate.

However, it would be a shame not to also read the text. This bilingual Spanish-English edition is accessible to readers in many countries and provides an extra bonus to readers with some knowledge of both languages who would like to practice their second language.

This is a natural history guidebook, so it does not provide information on how to get there and where to stay. For that, you also need a guidebook to Chile or Argentina. However, the book is rich with details on the geological origins and evolution of Patagonia, and reading it will help make the reader an educated traveler, one who will go gently and preserve it. -- INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER, by Joan Haladay, November/December 1998

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Pangaea Pub; Bilingual edition (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963018043
• ISBN-13: 978-0963018045
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Chile
  • #41 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Argentina
  • #46 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Chile

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Natural Patagonia - Review, July 6, 2010

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This review is from: Natural Patagonia / Patagonia natural: Argentina & Chile (Paperback)

This is mostly a book of nice photos. It breaks the large Patagoina region into zones and has short discriptions of each zone along with the pictures. Because it is written in both spanish and english and has many photos, there is not a lot of room left for detail. Think, long National Geographic article. This would be good for someone just wanting an introduction to the beauty of the area. I has hopping for a deeper dive into the regions natural history.

27 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Pictures and good text about Natural Wonders, September 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Natural Patagonia / Patagonia natural: Argentina & Chile (Paperback)

When I think of Patagonia, I think of the Natural Wonders of a place that has seen little human intervention. This book has magnificent pictures and in interesting text about the geography and wildlife of Patagonia.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Photos are..., January 19, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Natural Patagonia / Patagonia natural: Argentina & Chile (Paperback)

Photos are so, so... after visiting Patagonia live, just awesome, its people and gastronomy superb, definitely recommended, book and visit!!