Polar Dance: Born of the North Wind [Hardcover]

Thomas D. Mangelsen (Author), Fred Bruemmer (Author), Cara Blessley (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

An award-winning nature photographer, Mangelsen followed polar bears for eight years to collect the images featured here, over 250 exquisite color photographs that take the reader on a year-long journey through the Arctic.The accompanying text, by Canadian naturalist Bruemmer, chronicles a year in the life of a mother polar bear and her cubs and a young male bear as they experience the changing seasons in their Arctic wilderness habitat. The book's focus is on the polar bear but is balanced with images of walruses, seals, foxes, birds, characteristic vegetation, and the seasonally changing landscape. Mangelsen has surpassed his goal of creating a "beautiful picture book on bears," as this volume also presents a learning forum for those who seek an understanding of the Arctic but are unlikely to travel there. Sitting down with this book is an absorbing experience that will leave the reader with a new respect and admiration for the Arctic and its inhabitants. Highly recommended.?Deborah Emerson, Monroe Community Coll., Rochester, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Mangelsen is a well-known nature photographer, and in Polar Dance, he has produced what is probably the definitive collection of images of polar bears. These "ice bears" spend most of their lives in a land of snow and ice (the polar summer lasts mere weeks), and Mangelsen's evocative photos of white bears covered in snow, lying spread-eagled on pack ice, or swimming among ice floes give the reader a sense of this harsh habitat. Bruemmer's text is a factual account of arctic ecology and the niche the polar bear fills in this surprisingly rich ecosystem, coupled with two interspersed, parallel stories covering a year in the lives of a lone male bear and a female bear with two cubs. The text is informative, but a bibliography or lists of citations would have greatly added to its value as a reference source. This lush coffee-table book is recommended for libraries with large natural-history collections. Nancy Bent

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Images of Nature; First edition. edition (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890310034
• ISBN-13: 978-1890310035
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #704,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Bears

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential, wonderful personal story, captivating photos, May 2, 2000

By 

Angel Lee "Liocorno Amethyst Moonstone" (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Polar Dance: Born of the North Wind (Hardcover)

This is an essential book for polar bear and nature photography lovers alike. There are over 250 photos of polar bears, and arctic wildlife captured in the beautiful frozen world they live in.

I found the photography truly captivating. The adorable bears are shown splashing in the water, dancing, taking afternoon naps & wandering through the snow. There is even one of the mother making friends with a sled dog.

I was deeply touched by the many images of the cubs snuggling close to their mother. I found the other wildlife photos featuring many foxes and birds equally impressive. The captions for all the images are in the back of the book.

Along with the pictures, there is a wonderful story of a year in the life of a mother polar bear & her 2 cubs. The author switches pleasingly between factual accounts of the arctic world, folklore, & the personal story of the bear family.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a stunning book!!, January 25, 2002

By 

Mark Wagner (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Polar Dance: Born of the North Wind (Hardcover)

I found Tom Mangelsen's gallery in Jackson a few months ago, and while I was there, I had a chance to see many of his just downright stunning images.

As an aspiring wildlife photographer, I truly appreciate the superb work of Tom Mangelsen. Also, while in his gallery, I had the chance to talk to as well as meet Mr. Mangelsen himself.

This book is just simply stunning. I cannot think of any other description. The many different images of the polar bear in its natural environment has to be seen to be appreciated.

What I like the most about this book over so many other "nature" books is that we get to see the many facets of the polar bears life, from the tender side with a mother and her babies, to the savage nature of these beautiful animals...not just some glossy expose that says nothing.

I would encourage anyone who loves nature photography, whether you are a "couch" photographer/explorer or are planning on a career in wildlife photography.

Heartily recommended!!!!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars breathtaking, impressive photography of the arctic, December 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Polar Dance: Born of the North Wind (Hardcover)

Mangelsen has created an outstanding work of art that can be appreciated by polar bear lovers and nature lovers alike. The intentional ommission of captions until the end of the book allows the reader to view each photo as a work of art, absorbing the beauty and magic of each piece. It is an essential coffee table book for those intrigued and mystified by the polar bear, and strongly recommended for anyone who enjoys nature photography. A definite bargin in the world of nature photography books.