The book is wide in scope, covering mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians as well as habitats, tracks and how to go about a safari. But astonishingly for a book you can slip into your pocket, it offers much more than a brief overview. Unless you are a specialist, this is all you would really need to appreciate everything you see (other than a field guide to birds, which you would need for identification purposes). Both the photography and illustrations are superb. I'm off to South Africa in a few weeks, and my copy is already dog-eared.


The business!   August 26, 2003
 24 out of 25 found this review helpful

Southern Africa has to be one of the best wildlife-watching destinations on earth, with far more to see and enjoy than can be packed into the average two-week itinerary. This new wildlife-watching guide will help visitors make the most of this animal extravaganza. Mike Unwin, who obviously loves the area and its animals, takes us on a lively, quirky tour of the wildlife, highlighting the 'greatest hits' but not neglecting the less well-known but no less fascinating species and groups. The book also has plenty of travel advice and information on animal tracks and signs. It's illustrated with a wealth of beautiful colour photos, and many of the author's own superb line drawings. It's wonderfully inspiring - I can't wait to road-test it in the field.