As free as a bird by Peter Johnson

As free as a bird (Illustrated Struik Bird Photography Book in Jacket)

A Photographic Celebration of the Birds of Southern Africa in Full Colour

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: As free as a bird: Birds of Southern Africa
• Author: Peter Johnson
• Publisher: C. Struik Publishers, Cape Town
• Publication Date: 1984
• ISBN-13: 9780869770641
• ISBN-10: 0869770640
• Edition Details: First Edition 1976, Second Impression 1984.
• Binding: Publisher's brown cloth boards in illustrated, glossy laminated dust jacket. Printed in Singapore.
• Physical Format: Large, square-ish coffee-table format, 208 pages. Full-colour photographic plates throughout.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Exterior / Boards: The brown cloth boards beneath the jacket are clean, with no visible wear, and the corners and edges are square. The jacket spine is clean, with gilt-style lettering. The bottom edge of the text block is lightly toned.
• Interior: The title page and pages sampled are clean and bright, with no foxing or marks. The binding is tight.
• The Dust Jacket: Present. The glossy laminated jacket is intact, with light surface scuffing in the red area of the back panel and slight wear to the top right edge and bottom corner. A barcode sticker is on the back. Protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover.

Synopsis & Historical Value

As Free as a Bird: Birds of Southern Africa is a photographic celebration of the region's birdlife, published in Cape Town by C. Struik. Full-colour plates show species in their natural habitats, each with a short caption on behaviour, camouflage and habitat.

The large format gives the photographs room to work, and the book suits readers who enjoy looking at birds in their settings as much as identifying them. It is a handsome Struik production, and a good companion to Africana natural history and wildlife photography collections.

This copy is the Second Impression of 1984 of the 1976 first edition, in its original illustrated dust jacket.