Customer Reviews

Polar Dance: Born of the North Wind

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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.

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!!!!

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.

Polar Dance is in my opinion the most mind-blowing book on bears I have ever seen. I am an artist who works with faux fur, specializing in the creation of all species of bears. Polar Dance is the most treasured of all my wildlife books. The photographs of the ice bear taken so sensitively evokes my deepest emotions each time I turn the pages. I can almost feel the cold and snow out there on the Arctic. I reach for this book often for inspiration and even comfort. I never cease to be amazed at how beautifully Thomas Mangelsen has portrayed the "Tiger of the North". Certainly he has done justice to perhaps the most magnificent of God's creatures. Polar Dance is more than a book. It is a work of art.

I discovered the work of Thomas Mangelson about ten years ago in Jackson, Wyoming, when I stumbled across a gallery devoted to his work. The most famous image there, the one of two grown polar bears "dancing," is on the cover of this book.

The book encapsulates all the artistry of this outstanding photographer. As difficult as it is to capture wildlife images, it's doubly so when you are photographing white animals against snow! Mangelson spends some four months a year in the Arctic, enlarging his huge repertoire of images. I can't begin to imagine the patience and meticulous attention to detail that is required to gather these pictures, but I'm glad Mangelson can!

I love the fact that this book shows the chronological sequence in the life of a bear family, and also that it doesn't have captions on each page. That allows you to follow the sequence of images undisturbed by human intrusion - you become a part of the life cycle, so to speak. Mangelson's work enables the viewer to see the bears as a complex family unit in addition to their usual portrayal as hardy predators. It cannot fail to move the viewer; this is a book to savor again and again.

I'm a huge fan of just about every image this photographer has ever published, and this book is, to me, the culmination of his work. I recommend it to everyone, bear fan or not!

"Polar Dance", Thomas Mangelsen's 1997 coffee table book-sized collection of his iconic images of polar bears, continues to amaze. Its contents, including naturalist Fred Bruemmer's narrative of the polar bear's life cycle, are if anything more relevant in light of concerns over global warming and its possible effects on polar bear habitat in the Far North.

The book's nearly 300 stunning color photographs chronicle the travels of a polar bear sow and her two cubs, and of a lone male polar bear, through a season in the Canadian Arctic. Along the way, other animals, such as arctic foxes and caribou, make appearances. But this book really about the bears, from their awakening in their winter dens, to summer foraging and autumn scrounging. Mengelsen's images, many of them page-size, capture a harsh but beautiful environment, with captivating space and light conditions and a horizon that seems sometimes to go forever. Bruemmar's text is informative but unobtrusive; the emphasis is on the pictures of the great white bears.

"Polar Dance" is very highly recommended, even in used condition, to readers with an interest in the polar bear and its natural realm.

I love this book!!
First, the book's name as its cover photo: Polar Dance. It's really a creative and vivid name for the whole book.
Second, it's the largest polar bear book I've ever seen. Of course, there are plenty of amazing photos inside. I love the way of the author introducing the photos: you can see all the photos without any words disturbance in your field of view, using your own imaginary to give a name for the photos and the check it at the end of book. Maybe first time you will find it not convenient; however, after a while, you're gonna love it.
Third, the quality of printing is worthy the money. I'm fortunate to get a used book but like brand new condition.
I haven't finished reading the words but at least for the photos, it is really an amazing polar bear book.

This is the finest nature photography book I have ever laid my eyes on! A must have for all nature lovers and photography buffs. Spell-binding and beautiful! Terrific story! Get one for everyone on your gift list!