United States
£ GBP
Supremely colourful, among the most voracious predators of the insect world and on the wing for more than 300 million years, dragonflies and damselflies capture the imagination in so many ways. Yet many aspects of their fascinating lives are little-known to humans. Dragonfly provides an insight into a hidden world through engaging text and stunning close-up photography.
Dragonfly combines insightful writing with rarely seen images of the life and behaviour of the world's dragonfly and damselfly species. There are chapters on subjects such as hunting, courtship and the emergence of the nymphs and their subsequent transformation into adult dragonflies. These insects are further brought to life through the personal experiences of the author and photographers, and these are woven into the text.
David Chandler is based in Histon, Cambridge, and has worked for the RSPB and BirdLife International for nearly 20 years. He is now a freelance writer and naturalist and has authored a number of titles, including All About Bugs, All About Garden Wildlife and Barn Owl for New Holland.
The expert photographers include Steve Cham, who lives in Cambridge and has spent many years photographing dragonflies around the world. He specializes in aerial photography.
"There are plenty of texts about dragonflies but, field guides apart, they tend to be either elementary or rather formidably academic. This book is notable in taking its examples from around the world and from being written with clarity and enthusiasm. The ie colour illustrations on every page form a catwalk of dragonfly diversity with their new-fangled English names [...] . Though not an identification guide this is a nice, friendly introduction to the wonderful world of dragonflies that wears its learning lightly "
- Peter Marren, British Wildlife 25(4), April 2014
"This will probably be picked up as a coffee-table book, but the text offers as fascinating insight into the lives of these amazing, and colourful, insects. For many birders, dragonflies are another love and if you are only familiar with British species, this book will broaden your horizons by putting our species into a global context."
- BTO book reviews
