From School Library Journal
This is an updated paperback edition of the
Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds (
LJ 10/1/03), published in the UK by Oxford University Press as
Encyclopedia of Birds (previously,
New Encyclopedia of Birds). Perrins (Oxford, fellow of the Royal Soc.) combines the work of 150 contributors and more than 1000 great color photographs, maps, and other illustrations to produce a stunning book that informs both amateurs and experts. Coverage includes form and function, distribution, diet, breeding biology, and conservation and environment. Any updating is subtle, as no titles in the bibliography are more recent than 2003. A notice in small print states: "You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer," an attempt to thwart the cost-saving strategy of rebinding paperback copies with less-expensive-than-hardcover editions. Whether this statement is legally binding is not for this reviewer to say. BOTTOM LINE The repackaging of this work under slightly varying titles by different publishers is a real disservice; this book is a gem and deserves to be known by one title. Highly recommended for all libraries as well as all coffee tables not holding the earlier hardcover editions. [Also released this month:
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals. ISBN 978-0-691-14069-8; the
Birds encyclopedia is available as an ebook through Oxford Reference Online.]—Teresa R. Faust, Vermont Dept. of Libs., Berlin
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
Packed with photos, illustrations, and lively text that comfortably bridges the gap between a child's reference tool and a doctoral thesis. -- Scott Kirkwood, National Parks Magazine
Complete, beautiful, accessible, and a bargain to boot--
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Birds is everything one might want in a reference book. . . . It makes a point of distilling current field re-search into accessible articles written in an engaging style. -- Teresa Scollon, Foreword Magazine
Written in a clear and entertaining manner. It is a good browse on the diversity of birds. . . . The photographs are well worth the cost of the book. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in birds. -- Robert B. Payne, Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Essential for the library of any birder. . . . Since its scope is international, this book will be particularly valuable to the birder who travels to foreign corners of the world.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Birds is full of excellent color photography and illustrations and, the entry for each bird is complete with brief writings that distinguish the habits of that particular bird. . . .
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Birds is well-worthy of its noble Princeton name and is an essential reference for the birder, and especially one who travels the globe in hopes of sighting new birds. -- Chris Smith, Englewood Review of Books
The text is informative, the best aspect of this book is the abundance of illustrations. Unlike many bird references, it combines both photographs and paintings to take full advantage of each medium. -- DC Birding Blog
The encyclopedia is a gem, one I have only begun to explore. -- Judy S. Jottings, Wing and a Song
