Tiger

by Valmik Thapar

Ever since man first set eyes on the tiger, it has captivated people the world over. With its exceptional photography and insightful text, The Ultimate Guide is a fitting tribute to this fascinating creature. An indispensible resource for animal lovers and conservationists alike, this book offers the most complete account to date of the natural and cultural history of the tiger - from its evolution and behavior to its symbolic importance in myth and ritual. Anecdotal and statistical information concerning the tiger's continued exploitation and struggle for survival, past and present, illuminate and inform a discussion of current preservation efforts. Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 images, The Ultimate Guide features an unsurpassed collection of photographs of tigers in the wild, many never before published, that showcase the work of some of the world's finest photographers. Also included are superb examples of tiger-inspired art through the centuries - from ancient mosaics and Indian paintings to the work of European artists suchs as Delacroix, Bugatti, Stubbs, Rousseau, and Dali. The extraordinary array of illustrations presented in this distinctive volume has been drawn from archives, private collections, and museums around the world. A passionate first-person narrative by Valmik Thapar who has spent most of the last thirty years observing tigers in the wild and fighting to ensure their survival, is supplemented by the latest scientific findings and essays by twenty of the world's most renowned experts. This stunning book explores every aspect of one of nature's most majestic animals, making The Ultimate Guide as authoritative as it is beautiful.

339 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Valmik Thapar was an Indian naturalist, conservationist and writer. He was the author of 14 books and several articles, and was the producer of a range of programmes for television. He was one of India's most respected wildlife experts and conservationists, having produced and narrated documentaries on India's natural habitat for such media as the BBC, Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic.

Reviews

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book for a kid to learn more about tigers. Much information is given, from birth up until the tiger is on his or her own and hunting alone. Month by month, at most a few months are grouped together if nothing much happens during that time, we see how the cubs mature and learn.
Some of the facts, like the height and weight are probably too much for children around Julia's age. I skipped most of that. There is a small map that portrays where the tigers were/are living in relation to the rest of the world.
I think the scariest thing is that the books says that by 2010 there will be hardly any tigers left. At the time this was published the world was losing more than 400 tigers each year with about 6-7,000 left in the entire world in 2000. Of the eight subspecies of tigers that used to roam the earth, there are now five. The Caspian tiger has been extinct since the 1950's and the Javan and Bali tigers are extinct as well. How sad. An entire subspecies of a beautiful animal - gone. Because of us. All because of the things people have done, and maybe more importantly, the things people have not done.
Beware of a few of the pictures if reading with a young child. There are one or two that show a tiger with it's (dead) prey, as well as stalking prey still alive. As beautiful as these animals are, there are still one or two pictures that just looking at brings about a distinct sense of fear. There is one picture of two mail tigers fighting although it's fairly tame IMO compared to the ones I've mentioned already. There is also one near the end of the book of a group of men holding the skin of a tiger. This is bothersome and could be very bad for a young, sensitive child.
My daughter watches nature shows which show this type of thing in brutal living color and motion so she herself wasn't affected by it but I'd definitely be watchful with another child.

[VaughanPL]

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