Животные

“The deeper the white man went into Africa, the faster the life flowed out of it, off the plains and out of the bush...vanishing in acres of trophies and hides and carcasses.” — Peter Beard

A landmark publication on Africa, The End of the Game combines Peter Beard’s salient text and remarkable photographs to document the overpopulation and starvation of tens of thousands of elephants, rhinos, and hippos in Kenya’s Tsavo lowlands and Uganda parklands in the 1960s and ’70s.

Researched and compiled over two decades, Beard’s work is a powerful and poignant testimony to the damage done by human intervention in Africa. His own images and texts are supplemented by historical photographs of, and writings from, the enterprisers, explorers, missionaries, and big-game hunters whose quest for adventure and “progress” were to change the face of a continent: Theodore Roosevelt, Frederick Courteney Selous, Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), Philip Percival, J.A. Hunter, Ernest Hemingway, and J.H. Patterson.

Marking the 50th anniversary of its first publication, TASCHEN now republishes The End of the Game in a limited edition of 5,000 copies, with an updated foreword by internationally renowned travel and fiction writer Paul Theroux. Touching on such themes as distance from nature, density and stress, and loss of common sense, this seminal portrait is as resonant today, amid growing environmental crises, as it was a half-century ago.

Sit. Stay. Say cheeeeeese! At last! Here’s the book that combines heartwarming stories from pet owners with practical ideas for taking good, better, best photographs of our four-legged friends. With full discussions of black-and-white versus color portraits, indoors versus outdoors, composition, and capturing movement, PhoDOGraphy offers techniques that amateurs can use starting here and now. Great examples of dog portraiture, plus tons of ideas for fun new places to pose your furry friend (at the beach! in the park! in the car! in the snow!) make this a great gift for anyone who loves dogs. It’s doggone useful, and doggone adorable, too!

Rainforests are special places. Strung around the globe across five continents, they are natural cathedrals on the grandest scale, their lush, humid precincts not only places of great beauty but also home to more than fifty per cent of the world's known wildlife species. This is biodiversity at its most dramatic: a bewildering variety of plants, birds, mammals and invertebrates depend on the rainforest environment, with the total number of species continuing to grow almost daily as scientists make constant new discoveries. Yet, while we still have so much more to learn about rainforests, they are disappearing - cleared and burned, thanks to human greed for land and demand for timber and other forest resources.

In "Rainforest Safari", James Parry explores these extraordinary landscapes with reference to 25 sites, and reveals the fascinating range of wildlife they support. The book looks at the various types of rainforest, at their different ecosystems and at the diverse features that make them such exciting places to visit." Rainforest Safari" also looks at the human dimension of rainforests: at the indigenous peoples whose way of life is firmly rooted in the forest ecosystem, at the devastating impact of uncontrolled deforestation and other forms of exploitation, and at the conservation work now underway to try and save what is left of these unique habitats. In the final chapter, the book takes a forward view, assessing what the future may hold for rainforests, especially in view of their value in the battle to stem climate change.

Contents:
Foreword; Intro; A Background to Rainforests; Africa (6 sites); Asia (7 sites); Australasia (3 sites); North America (2 sites); Central, South America (6 sites); The Future for Rainforests; Resources; Index.

In these spectacular photographs taken in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Maasai Mara Natural Reserve in Kenya, Anup Shah reveals African wildlife as never before, through the use of remote hidden cameras planted across the plains. Organized by season from January through December, here is life on the plains in all its dynamism and vitality. Readers find themselves literally face-to-face with hyenas and cheetahs as they feed on a kill; elephants communing at a watering hole; playful lion cubs; wildebeests hauling themselves out of a river; a leopard growling a warning; and inquisitive monkeys gazing at their reflections in the camera lens. Many of these animals have noticed the camera, to them an odd device that makes a strange clicking sound. Captions written by Shah tell the story of the daily ebb and flow of life on the African plains.

Award-winning photographer Tim Flach has built an exceptional reputation for creating compelling images of animals that captivate and enthrall photography buffs and animal lovers alike.

His commissions include such world-renowned publications as National Geographic and The Sunday Times. He combines artistic originality with an intuitive genius for capturing every creature’s distinctive quirks and traits. As he puts it himself, his work explores “how we shape nature and how it shapes us.” In doing so, we see how our perceptions affect the reality around us — highlighting the deep bond we share with other members of the animal kingdom.

 - A collection of groundbreaking animal portraiture
 - An insight into how we perceive the natural world and its inhabitants

Animal Magnetism. Steve McCurry turns his lens on creatures around the world

From an elephant lovingly resting on his master’s shoulder to a dog led through the rubbles of Kabul on the back of a bicycle; these images by Steve McCurry tell a thousand stories, each a touching tribute to the creatures who share our planet. The legendary photographer presents his favourite shots of animals in this kaleidoscopic collection ranging from Asia to South America, the United States to Europe.

In Animals, we discover a different side to the famed photographer who skillfully explores animals’ complex relationship with humans and the environment.

Tenderness abounds, particularly in scenes of unkempt street dogs sleeping contentedly next to a human. But there’s also a kind of essential solitude, with animals belonging to no one and simply wandering through life with only their survival instincts to guide them. We witness camels caught in the crossfire during the first Gulf War; a shepherd from Northern Pakistan tenderly feeding his goats; Beverly Hills designer dogs; race horses on a Hong Kong rooftop; elephants in Thailand, and more images selected by McCurry from his vast archives.

Through McCurry’s lens, we discover an appreciation for each creature’s beauty and silent dignity. This kaleidoscopic collection is at once a beautiful travelogue and a touching tribute to the creatures who share our planet.

The photographer:

Steve McCurry was born in Philadelphia, PA, and has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than forty years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name. After numerous travels throughout India, the Middle East and Afghanistan, he founded ImagineAsia in 2004, with the mission to help provide educational resources and opportunities to children and young adults in Afghanistan.

The editor:

Reuel Golden is the former editor of the British Journal of Photography. His TASCHEN titles include Capitol Records, Mick Rock: The Rise of David Bowie, both London and New York Portrait of a City books, Andy Warhol. Polaroids, The Rolling Stones, Her Majesty, Football in the 1970s, the National Geographic editions, and The David Bailey SUMO.

A large and spectacular book with 300 stunning pictures of the Arabian horse by German photographer Gabrielle Boiselle.

Dog Days. A photo tribute to our four-pawed friends

With more than 400 canine portraits, this book is both a picture tribute to our favourite four-legged friend and a unique history of dogs in photography. From the 19th century right through to today, we see how the camera has been the key witness to our timeless affection for dogs, capturing their beauty, character, joy, and abiding friendship.

In celebration of the world’s favourite animal, we bring you over 400 photographs of or about dogs. With pictures from the 19th century to today, the collection includes works by Man Ray, Eric Fischl, Wolfgang Tillmans, Donna Ruskin, Fatima NeJame, Vincent Versace, and of course Elliott Erwitt and William Wegman. Together, their pictures, unique in style but united in canine affection, are testimony if ever there was one that dogs are not only best friends, but also pure photographic inspiration.

Forget #dogsofinstagram, this is real canine art, showing how the camera has been key witness to dogs in all their diversity, character, and friendship, from pensive pooch portraits to four-pawed action shots. As intellectually as it is visually stimulating, the book includes captivating essays tracing the presence of dogs in the history of photography and their relationship with humans across the decades.

The author:

Raymond Merritt is a senior partner of the New York law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher and a member of the Executive Committee of the American Fund for UNICEF. He has been active in the photography world for over thirty years, serving as a trustee of the International Center of Photography, New York, and a member of the acquisitions committee of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and the Norton Museum, West Palm Beach. An avid collector, he has curated numerous photography exhibitions and edited several books on photography. He also served as a director of the SoHo Partnership and the Loyola Foundation.

About the series:

Bibliotheca Universalis — Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price!

Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together more than 100 of our all-time favourite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.

Bookworm’s delight — never bore, always excite!

The origins, history, and prospects of big game in Africa

Researched, photographed, and compiled over 20 years, Peter Beard's End of the Game tells the tale of the enterprisers, explorers, missionaries, and big-game hunters whose quests for adventure and "progress" were to change the face of Africa in the 20th century. This landmark volume is assembled from hundreds of historical photographs and writings, starting with the building of the Mombasa Railroad ("The Lunatic Line") and the opening-up of darkest Africa. The stories behind the heroic figures in Beard's work - Theodore Roosevelt, Frederick Courtney Selous, Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), Denys Finch-Hatton (the romantic hero of Out of Africa), Philip Percival, J. A. Hunter, Ernest Hemingway, and J. H. Patterson (who became famous as the relentless hunter of the "Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo") - are all contextualized by Beard's own photographs of the enormous region. Shot in the 1960s and '70s in the Tsavo lowlands during the elephant-habitat crisis and then in Uganda parks, Beard's studies of elephant and hippo population dynamics document the inevitable overpopulation and starvation of tens of thousands of elephants and rhinos.

Originally published in 1965 and updated in 1977, this classic is resurrected by TASCHEN with rich duotone reproduction and a new foreword by internationally renowned travel and fiction writer Paul Theroux. Touching on themes such as distance from nature, density and stress, loss of common sense, and global emergencies, this seminal picture history of eastern Africa in the first half of the 20th century shows us the origins of the wildlife crisis on the continent, a phenomenon which bears a remarkable resemblance to the overpopulation and climate crises we face today.

Many have tried to convey the true spirit of Africa’s animals in words, photography, or in music.

There may be no challenge greater; Africa’s fauna is vast in number and rich in diversity. In this finely crafted collection, French photographer Laurent Baheux uses the medium of black-and-white photography to capture the intricate details of both the wondrous beasts and the magnificent settings in which they dwell. This wide-ranging volume lays particular emphasis on his subjects’ individual spirits — revealing all of their vulnerability while losing nothing of their raw vitality. Every photograph is so carefully composed and well lit that the details equal the evocative precision of an Old Masters portrait. Through Baheux’s eyes, we get close to creatures that will both inspire and humble us all.

Laurent Baheux is a French-born photographer, who hails from Poitiers. Ever since a 2002 visit to Tanzania, he has been photographing Africa’s dwindling wild fauna, portraying their beauty, strength and majesty, while also emphasizing their vulnerability and the fragility of the environments in which they dwell. In addition to the consciousness-raising that is inherent in his photographic work, he accompanies and supports the deeds of organizations such as The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) that work for the protection of nature and the preservation of biodiversity. Baheux is keenly aware that his pictures can help create public awareness about the importance of preserving and protecting wildlife. As well as an undeniable aesthetic appeal, his photography seeks to draw attention to the precarious situation facing Africa’s wildlife. His mission is to inspire those who witness his works not only to marvel but also to take action.

 - An unparalleled survey of Africa’s majestic wildlife
 - One of the finest collections of natural photography in years
 - The perfect gift for any animal lover
 - Laurent Baheux' AFRICA series received the Honorable Mention of the Fine Art Photo Awards

The majestic images of Laurent Baheux are finally available in a small hardcover version for a smaller price

The Life and Love of Cats takes us on an unforgettable journey - we travel from the homes of middle-America today, back to the demonized creatures hiding in the alleys of medieval Europe; from wild cousins on the plains of Africa to rare hybrid domestic breeds like the Savannah; and from fashionable show, breeds to shelter cats lovingly rescued by volunteers.

Starting with the earliest records of domestic cats 9,000 years ago in Africa and the Mediterranean and moving to the present, Lewis Blackwell weaves stories of one of humankind’s closest companions with a collection of more than 100 unforgettable images.

Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one is a life diminished. 

Dogs live with us in a way that no other creature does. Their contribution to our history has enabled us to be where we are today. It’s a connection that can even have depths beyond those we have with our own species.

For all dog lovers, The Life and Love of Dogs offers hundreds of incredible images by acclaimed photogra­phers from around the world. A textual exploration of our unique relationship with dogs — including a surprising analysis of the qualities that make a dog attractive in our eyes, a detailed look at how the breeds we see today are a product of our own needs and desires, and more — it sheds original light on this great love affair.

About the Author:

Lewis Blackwell has worked as a leading writer, editor, and creative director in photography. He has authored several award-winning bestselling books and was for many years the worldwide creative head of Getty Images and, previously, the publisher and editor in chief of Creative Review.

This is the most comprehensive and inspirational volume ever published on the extraordinary world of shells, including a worldwide directory of shell collections and grottos and a photographic glossary of shells

Shells have been put to an amazing array of uses – as decoration, tools, medicines and musical instruments. For nearly four millennia, millions of them were used acros the world as currency. Shells have been worn as amulets to bring fertility, good fortune or protection from the evil eye.

The beauty of shells has fired the imaginations of artists and craftsmen, and their work forms the lavish heart of this book, from the simplest beads to designs in gold and precious stones, silverware, ceramics, glass, textiles, furniture and fashion.

Shells encrusted the garden grottos and pavilions of the 17th and 18th centuries, and in the 20th century influenced the forms of landmark modernist and post-modernist buildings.

Some shells are so coveted that specimens can raise staggering sums at auction. Ingrid Thomas explores this history of shell collecting, and explains how shells can be collected responsibly today without harming our marine environments.

Michael Poliza’s wildlife and landscape photography has fascinated us for years, and his photo books of Africa and the polar regions have already captivated tens of thousands of readers.

His extensive travels into the most remote corners of the world are the basis for his artistry. These trips made him an expert on magical places where one can experience unspoiled nature, observe and photograph breathtaking landscapes and wild animals, and stay at hidden hideaways far from the beaten tourist path. For more than five years, a few lucky souls have had the pleasure of having the globetrotting Poliza as their personal guide on land, air, and sea. Now his readers can join in on these tours. Stunning photographs paired with useful travel information make this volume a one-of-a-kind experience.

 - Discover the best places to watch wildlife, including polar bears in Churchill, Canada, tortoises on the Galápagos Islands, and Damaraland elephants in Namibia
 - Packed with information on the regions, how to get there, and where to stay, it’s the perfect gift for globetrotters and armchair travelers alike

For more than ten years, wildlife photographer Steve Bloom traveled all over the world, roaming through the jungles of Borneo, the African savannahs, and the frozen banks of Antarctica to assemble this dazzling collection of photographs of animals in their natural environments. With an international range that is rare in books of animal photography, the 200 photographs in Untamed (2004) bring to life a vast panorama of animal diversity and the landscapes, climates, and habitats in which these creatures live.

Now this terrific survey of Bloom's animal photography is available in a smaller, giftable format. Once again, the reader is treated to the serene gaze of a gorilla relaxing in the trees, a shark-jumping in midair to catch its prey, a Siberian tiger traipsing through the snow in search of food, and penguins congregating on an ice floe. Bloom's anthropomorphic approach reveals rage, tenderness, and even humor in his subjects, capturing those fleeting moments when the gap between animal and human seems to disappear altogether. These amazing images, augmented by a personal account of Bloom's unforgettable career as a wildlife photographer, make this reissue of Untamed an excellent gift for all animal and photography.

About the author
Steve Bloom is an award-winning wildlife photographer who founded his own wildlife stock photo agency and fine print gallery in the mid-1990s. He was a contributor to Abrams’ One Planet: A Celebration of Biodiversity.