Albatross: Their world, their ways

At first glance this looks like a coffee table book, and there is no doubt that it is absolutely crammed full of stunning photos of these enigmatic birds. It would certainly not look out of place on a coffee table, but this book repays a bit more time spent looking at it. A preliminary section introduces the albatrosses, and author Tui de Roy looks at each of the groups in turn, describing his encounters with each species and the windswept, isolated places where they breed. A large central section is, in effect, a series of scientific essays each tackling a different issue affecting albatrosses, from albatrosses and man through history; flight performance and energetics, fisheries mortality and other conservation topics; each is written by an expert in the field. A final section presents data for each species, with all the facts and figures one would expect from a thorough guide. A glossary and guide to further reading completes this fascinating book.

Book reviewed by Su Gough