Southern Africa: Spectacular World of Wildlife By Reader's Digest
Southern Africa: Spectacular World of Wildlife
A Comprehensive Ecological and Photographic Compendium of Sub-Saharan Flora, Fauna, and Conservation Networks
A Comprehensive Ecological and Photographic Compendium of Sub-Saharan Flora, Fauna, and Conservation Networks
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Southern Africa: Spectacular World of Wildlife
- Author & Compiler: Alan Duggan, Peter Joyce, and the Editors of Reader's Digest Association South Africa
- Scientific Consultant: Professor John Skinner
- Publisher: Reader's Digest Association South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 1993 (First Edition) / 1994 Impression
- ISBN-13: 9781874912057 (ISBN-10: 187491205X)
- Edition Details: First Edition. Hardcover Release.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium deep-green textured cloth boards with decorative gilt-stamped typography to the spine and front panel; complete with original illustrated dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Oversized Coffee-Table Folio (4to), 272 pages. Fully augmented with hundreds of high-fidelity, full-colour wildlife action photographs, distribution maps, and anatomical diagrams printed on premium matte art paper stock. Dimensions: 34 x 24 cm.
- Language: English [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Near Fine (NF) / Mint
- Exterior / Boards: The original green cloth boards are in exceptional, mint condition—completely flat, rigid, and perfectly square. The gilt lettering remains bright and unblemished, while the corners are razor-sharp. The spine is uncreased, sturdy, and structurally flawless.
- Interior: The thick text block is robustly bound, tight, and remarkably fresh. Internal pages, detailed range maps, and full-bleed animal plates are clean, bright white, and entirely free of foxing, thumb marks, or reader markings.
- Provenance: Pristine collector's state; entirely free of previous owner signatures, institutional stamps, or dealer pencil marks.
- Protection: Kept pristine and safely enclosed within a custom archival-grade protective cellophane sleeve.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Condition: Bright, complete, and unclipped. Exhibits only very limited, superficial signs of handling and minor storage friction on the exterior margins, fully consistent with careful archival preservation. Free of any major tears, chips, or spine fading.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in Cape Town, Southern Africa: Spectacular World of Wildlife is a monumental tribute to the vast biological wealth of the subcontinent. Produced with the editorial precision characteristic of Reader's Digest’s natural history division, this visual tour de force captures the high drama and raw survival strategies of an animal fraternity unequalled anywhere else on Earth. [1, 2]
The volume profiles the immense biodiversity of a landscape where more than 900 species of birds cohabit with 338 mammal species, alongside a diverse population of reptiles and amphibians. Rather than serving merely as a photographic gallery, the text explores the ecological importance of the region's six million hectares of conservation land, emphasizing the urgent need to protect this wildlife heritage against industrial encroachment. Featuring stunning action photography and comprehensive behavioral essays across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, it remains an essential reference volume for collectors of African natural history and conservation literature. [1, 2]
Author Profile: Reader's Digest South Africa
During the late 20th century, the editorial team at Reader's Digest South Africa partnered with leading regional zoologists, field rangers, and environmental scientists to produce some of the most authoritative natural history guides on the continent. Their publications are widely celebrated for combining rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific taxonomy with highly accessible, narrative-driven prose and world-class wildlife photojournalism.
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