Deserts: A Miracle Of Life By Jim Flegg
Deserts: A Miracle Of Life (First Edition)
An Exploration of the Adaptations, Ecology, and Extraordinary Landscapes of the World's Formidable Arid Zones
An Exploration of the Adaptations, Ecology, and Extraordinary Landscapes of the World's Formidable Arid Zones
Bibliographic Specifications
• Title: Deserts: A Miracle Of Life
• Author: Jim Flegg
• Publisher: Blandford Press, London / New York
• Publication Date: 1993
• ISBN-10: 0713724781
• ISBN-13: 9780713724783
• Edition Details: First Edition, Standard Hardcover Release.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium textured cloth-bound hardboards with crisp metal-stamped spine lettering, housed in the original illustrated glossy dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Quarto (4to), 160 pages. Richly enhanced with hundreds of spectacular full-colour habitat photographs, ecological distribution maps, and biological diagrams printed on premium high-grade semi-gloss stock.
• Language: English
• Title: Deserts: A Miracle Of Life
• Author: Jim Flegg
• Publisher: Blandford Press, London / New York
• Publication Date: 1993
• ISBN-10: 0713724781
• ISBN-13: 9780713724783
• Edition Details: First Edition, Standard Hardcover Release.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium textured cloth-bound hardboards with crisp metal-stamped spine lettering, housed in the original illustrated glossy dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Quarto (4to), 160 pages. Richly enhanced with hundreds of spectacular full-colour habitat photographs, ecological distribution maps, and biological diagrams printed on premium high-grade semi-gloss stock.
• Language: English
Official Condition Report
• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth-bound hardboards are in very good condition, presenting dead-flat profiles, exceptionally rigid joints, and clean borders. All four corner tips remain crisp and unbumped. The spine holds its original tight structural geometry, completely vertically straight and undamaged.
o Interior: Pristine, intact, and brilliantly clean. The 160 pages and dense color photography sequences are bright and free of age-toning, localized foxing, or page-turn thumb-soil. Free of standard antiquarian defects, including previous owner name plates, bookstore ink stamps, library call numbers, or dealer pencil annotations.
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Condition Details: The original illustrated jacket is remarkably well-preserved, displaying radiant colours, sharp lines, and strong surface gloss. It exhibits only very limited, microscopically faint signs of superficial shelf-friction or minor edge-wear along the spine ends. The entire jacket has been carefully encased inside a professional, removable clear cellophane archival cover to permanently prevent future environmental wear or handling friction.
• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth-bound hardboards are in very good condition, presenting dead-flat profiles, exceptionally rigid joints, and clean borders. All four corner tips remain crisp and unbumped. The spine holds its original tight structural geometry, completely vertically straight and undamaged.
o Interior: Pristine, intact, and brilliantly clean. The 160 pages and dense color photography sequences are bright and free of age-toning, localized foxing, or page-turn thumb-soil. Free of standard antiquarian defects, including previous owner name plates, bookstore ink stamps, library call numbers, or dealer pencil annotations.
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Condition Details: The original illustrated jacket is remarkably well-preserved, displaying radiant colours, sharp lines, and strong surface gloss. It exhibits only very limited, microscopically faint signs of superficial shelf-friction or minor edge-wear along the spine ends. The entire jacket has been carefully encased inside a professional, removable clear cellophane archival cover to permanently prevent future environmental wear or handling friction.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1993 by the historic Blandford Press, Deserts: A Miracle Of Life stands as a singular, beautifully curated guide to the most spectacular—and most formidable—places on earth. Written by the acclaimed British naturalist and broadcaster Dr. Jim Flegg, this comprehensive work journeys across the globe to capture the extraordinary beauty of arid landscapes and the highly complex ecosystems they sustain.
Published in 1993 by the historic Blandford Press, Deserts: A Miracle Of Life stands as a singular, beautifully curated guide to the most spectacular—and most formidable—places on earth. Written by the acclaimed British naturalist and broadcaster Dr. Jim Flegg, this comprehensive work journeys across the globe to capture the extraordinary beauty of arid landscapes and the highly complex ecosystems they sustain.
Far from being barren wastes, the book reveals how the world's deserts are filled with life as varied and fantastic as their topography. Flegg delivers an informative, entertaining text that explores the ingenious—and often astonishing—evolutionary adaptations that humans, mammals, birds, reptiles, plants, and insects undergo in order to survive under extreme thermal and hydrological stress. From the Namib and Kalahari of Southern Africa to the Sahara and the great Australian deserts, this volume bridges the gap between accessible travel journalism and rigorous habitat ecology. Filled with striking wildlife photography, this out-of-print classic is a valuable collectible asset for natural history libraries, geography enthusiasts, and environmental reference archives.
Author Profile: Jim Flegg
Dr. Jim Flegg OBE is a highly distinguished British ornithologist, biologist, author, and television presenter who has made monumental contributions to global environmental education and wildlife conservation. For years, he served as the Director of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and later conducted advanced agricultural and ecological research at the East Malling Research Station. A prolific communicator of natural sciences, Flegg authored dozens of celebrated reference books—including Bird Life, Poles Apart, and the standard field reference Deserts—while frequently broadcasting for the BBC on wilderness preservation. Celebrated for his sharp analytical precision and engaging narrative prose, his publications remain highly valued by academic societies and antiquarian collectors for making complex biodiversity profiles universally accessible to international readers.
Dr. Jim Flegg OBE is a highly distinguished British ornithologist, biologist, author, and television presenter who has made monumental contributions to global environmental education and wildlife conservation. For years, he served as the Director of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and later conducted advanced agricultural and ecological research at the East Malling Research Station. A prolific communicator of natural sciences, Flegg authored dozens of celebrated reference books—including Bird Life, Poles Apart, and the standard field reference Deserts—while frequently broadcasting for the BBC on wilderness preservation. Celebrated for his sharp analytical precision and engaging narrative prose, his publications remain highly valued by academic societies and antiquarian collectors for making complex biodiversity profiles universally accessible to international readers.
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