First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

We're all doomed, 16 Dec 2008
Without bees, no pollenation. Without pollenation, no variey of flora. Without that, no small insect life. And of course no richness in diet.

Timely, persuasive and necessary, 25 Jul 2008
If climate change doesn't get you, the disappearance of the honeybee will - this is the rather gloomy message of Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum's well researched and engagingly written new book on Colony Collapse Disorder - a honeybee `plague' which has already killed millions of bees worldwide. Some 90 commercial crops owe their continued existence to the pollination services provided free of charge by the honeybee so its fair to say that A World Without Bees is an important book. For it to succeed in its mission it has to put the fear of God into us without losing us to jargon. It does so admirably, taking us through the rather complicated but interesting world of honeybee health, politics and economics and delivering us to a conclusion which lays the blame firmly on our own shoulders. Time to start talking about bee rights? Could be.

Unique, valuable, objective; a fantastically GOOD book, 24 Jun 2008
I read this wonderful book in one very long sitting; I really could not stop once I started. Having grown up surrounded, in my immediate family, by the 1950's acute nature-awareness of the early Soil Association days of Bob Waller and Harold Horne et al, it was like deja vu to me.
The authors have been very disciplined in producing a really worthwhile book; it is almost perfectly objective, and therefore above cheap criticism. They have worked immensely hard to source a huge amount of sound material, and they have taken the trouble to understand it thoroughly before using it in their book. And the mystery at issue is no less than how terrifyingly detached from truth we are becoming, and how little we now understand our own misery and poverty of life in the midst of all our illusion of ease; how deprived of reality we have already become.
Read it! In the morning, the evening, on the train, in the bath, but read it. It is more real than most other stuff you will find on printed paper or glowing on a monitor any day of the year.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

We're all doomed, 16 Dec 2008
Without bees, no pollenation. Without pollenation, no variey of flora. Without that, no small insect life. And of course no richness in diet.

Timely, persuasive and necessary, 25 Jul 2008
If climate change doesn't get you, the disappearance of the honeybee will - this is the rather gloomy message of Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum's well researched and engagingly written new book on Colony Collapse Disorder - a honeybee `plague' which has already killed millions of bees worldwide. Some 90 commercial crops owe their continued existence to the pollination services provided free of charge by the honeybee so its fair to say that A World Without Bees is an important book. For it to succeed in its mission it has to put the fear of God into us without losing us to jargon. It does so admirably, taking us through the rather complicated but interesting world of honeybee health, politics and economics and delivering us to a conclusion which lays the blame firmly on our own shoulders. Time to start talking about bee rights? Could be.

Unique, valuable, objective; a fantastically GOOD book, 24 Jun 2008
I read this wonderful book in one very long sitting; I really could not stop once I started. Having grown up surrounded, in my immediate family, by the 1950's acute nature-awareness of the early Soil Association days of Bob Waller and Harold Horne et al, it was like deja vu to me.
The authors have been very disciplined in producing a really worthwhile book; it is almost perfectly objective, and therefore above cheap criticism. They have worked immensely hard to source a huge amount of sound material, and they have taken the trouble to understand it thoroughly before using it in their book. And the mystery at issue is no less than how terrifyingly detached from truth we are becoming, and how little we now understand our own misery and poverty of life in the midst of all our illusion of ease; how deprived of reality we have already become.
Read it! In the morning, the evening, on the train, in the bath, but read it. It is more real than most other stuff you will find on printed paper or glowing on a monitor any day of the year.

I just love Planet Earth!, 25 Oct 2008
It makes you want to travel around this beautiful world and forget about all the ugly and bad things that are happening on this planet.

Great completment to the series!, 10 Oct 2008
This is a very well made book about the series and compltements it well. As books do you can linger on the pages, read the explanatory notes in your own time and take it a page at a time.

Fills in loads of details about issues and facts that can only be glossed over on TV,


Simply Superb, 30 May 2008
This book describes the Earth in its truest sense, Not what we see every day, but what we should see and help protect.!! A spectacle. It appeals to every human soul, A delight to read it over and over again.

Recommended now and for generations to come..

Breathtaking,beautiful and at times thought provoking., 16 Dec 2007
This book is a portfolio of the best moments from the Planet earth series.It covers everything from the great sands to the shallow seas.11 different sections in total.I recieved it as a birthday gift and couldnt be more pleased with it. The photos are absolutely stunning and at times thought provoking.The lone polar bear surrounded by melting sea ice really did move me.I have looked at the photos time and time again and they are still as special as when i first saw them.If you love wildlife photography then i can't see how you could not enjoy this.Faultless.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

We're all doomed, 16 Dec 2008
Without bees, no pollenation. Without pollenation, no variey of flora. Without that, no small insect life. And of course no richness in diet.

Timely, persuasive and necessary, 25 Jul 2008
If climate change doesn't get you, the disappearance of the honeybee will - this is the rather gloomy message of Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum's well researched and engagingly written new book on Colony Collapse Disorder - a honeybee `plague' which has already killed millions of bees worldwide. Some 90 commercial crops owe their continued existence to the pollination services provided free of charge by the honeybee so its fair to say that A World Without Bees is an important book. For it to succeed in its mission it has to put the fear of God into us without losing us to jargon. It does so admirably, taking us through the rather complicated but interesting world of honeybee health, politics and economics and delivering us to a conclusion which lays the blame firmly on our own shoulders. Time to start talking about bee rights? Could be.

Unique, valuable, objective; a fantastically GOOD book, 24 Jun 2008
I read this wonderful book in one very long sitting; I really could not stop once I started. Having grown up surrounded, in my immediate family, by the 1950's acute nature-awareness of the early Soil Association days of Bob Waller and Harold Horne et al, it was like deja vu to me.
The authors have been very disciplined in producing a really worthwhile book; it is almost perfectly objective, and therefore above cheap criticism. They have worked immensely hard to source a huge amount of sound material, and they have taken the trouble to understand it thoroughly before using it in their book. And the mystery at issue is no less than how terrifyingly detached from truth we are becoming, and how little we now understand our own misery and poverty of life in the midst of all our illusion of ease; how deprived of reality we have already become.
Read it! In the morning, the evening, on the train, in the bath, but read it. It is more real than most other stuff you will find on printed paper or glowing on a monitor any day of the year.

I just love Planet Earth!, 25 Oct 2008
It makes you want to travel around this beautiful world and forget about all the ugly and bad things that are happening on this planet.

Great completment to the series!, 10 Oct 2008
This is a very well made book about the series and compltements it well. As books do you can linger on the pages, read the explanatory notes in your own time and take it a page at a time.

Fills in loads of details about issues and facts that can only be glossed over on TV,


Simply Superb, 30 May 2008
This book describes the Earth in its truest sense, Not what we see every day, but what we should see and help protect.!! A spectacle. It appeals to every human soul, A delight to read it over and over again.

Recommended now and for generations to come..

Breathtaking,beautiful and at times thought provoking., 16 Dec 2007
This book is a portfolio of the best moments from the Planet earth series.It covers everything from the great sands to the shallow seas.11 different sections in total.I recieved it as a birthday gift and couldnt be more pleased with it. The photos are absolutely stunning and at times thought provoking.The lone polar bear surrounded by melting sea ice really did move me.I have looked at the photos time and time again and they are still as special as when i first saw them.If you love wildlife photography then i can't see how you could not enjoy this.Faultless.

A real gem, 25 Apr 2008
This book is fascinating for any tree enthusiast.
It is the perfect tool you can use to identify different tree types.
The writing style is concise and in-depth.
A sheer masterpiece.
Picture quality is high definition. Images are portrayed in vivid detail.
This book is fantastic.
If you are even slightly interested in trees or want to expand your knowledge of trees buy this book.



A dream publication - Sheer quality, 10 Apr 2008
This publication just oozes quality from the high definition colour photography to the research and layout. I have several reference books relating to British trees and this one stands tall above all the others. The number of quality colour photographs is staggering.

If you are seeking a complete reference this book does exactly what it says on the cover, if I could have given it six stars I would have.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

We're all doomed, 16 Dec 2008
Without bees, no pollenation. Without pollenation, no variey of flora. Without that, no small insect life. And of course no richness in diet.

Timely, persuasive and necessary, 25 Jul 2008
If climate change doesn't get you, the disappearance of the honeybee will - this is the rather gloomy message of Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum's well researched and engagingly written new book on Colony Collapse Disorder - a honeybee `plague' which has already killed millions of bees worldwide. Some 90 commercial crops owe their continued existence to the pollination services provided free of charge by the honeybee so its fair to say that A World Without Bees is an important book. For it to succeed in its mission it has to put the fear of God into us without losing us to jargon. It does so admirably, taking us through the rather complicated but interesting world of honeybee health, politics and economics and delivering us to a conclusion which lays the blame firmly on our own shoulders. Time to start talking about bee rights? Could be.

Unique, valuable, objective; a fantastically GOOD book, 24 Jun 2008
I read this wonderful book in one very long sitting; I really could not stop once I started. Having grown up surrounded, in my immediate family, by the 1950's acute nature-awareness of the early Soil Association days of Bob Waller and Harold Horne et al, it was like deja vu to me.
The authors have been very disciplined in producing a really worthwhile book; it is almost perfectly objective, and therefore above cheap criticism. They have worked immensely hard to source a huge amount of sound material, and they have taken the trouble to understand it thoroughly before using it in their book. And the mystery at issue is no less than how terrifyingly detached from truth we are becoming, and how little we now understand our own misery and poverty of life in the midst of all our illusion of ease; how deprived of reality we have already become.
Read it! In the morning, the evening, on the train, in the bath, but read it. It is more real than most other stuff you will find on printed paper or glowing on a monitor any day of the year.

I just love Planet Earth!, 25 Oct 2008
It makes you want to travel around this beautiful world and forget about all the ugly and bad things that are happening on this planet.

Great completment to the series!, 10 Oct 2008
This is a very well made book about the series and compltements it well. As books do you can linger on the pages, read the explanatory notes in your own time and take it a page at a time.

Fills in loads of details about issues and facts that can only be glossed over on TV,


Simply Superb, 30 May 2008
This book describes the Earth in its truest sense, Not what we see every day, but what we should see and help protect.!! A spectacle. It appeals to every human soul, A delight to read it over and over again.

Recommended now and for generations to come..

Breathtaking,beautiful and at times thought provoking., 16 Dec 2007
This book is a portfolio of the best moments from the Planet earth series.It covers everything from the great sands to the shallow seas.11 different sections in total.I recieved it as a birthday gift and couldnt be more pleased with it. The photos are absolutely stunning and at times thought provoking.The lone polar bear surrounded by melting sea ice really did move me.I have looked at the photos time and time again and they are still as special as when i first saw them.If you love wildlife photography then i can't see how you could not enjoy this.Faultless.

A real gem, 25 Apr 2008
This book is fascinating for any tree enthusiast.
It is the perfect tool you can use to identify different tree types.
The writing style is concise and in-depth.
A sheer masterpiece.
Picture quality is high definition. Images are portrayed in vivid detail.
This book is fantastic.
If you are even slightly interested in trees or want to expand your knowledge of trees buy this book.



A dream publication - Sheer quality, 10 Apr 2008
This publication just oozes quality from the high definition colour photography to the research and layout. I have several reference books relating to British trees and this one stands tall above all the others. The number of quality colour photographs is staggering.

If you are seeking a complete reference this book does exactly what it says on the cover, if I could have given it six stars I would have.

An excellent read, 17 Dec 2008
It is not often that I race through non-fiction, but Mr Warwick writes well and hedgehogs prove a fascinating subject. He not only clearly adores hedgehogs but he also delights in the quirky characters who live alongside them (from the hedgehog rescuers through to owners who enter them into hedgehog Olympics). Presumably timed for the Christmas market, this is an excellent present - for yourself or others - that won't just sit unread on the bookshelf.

hedgehogabilia, 11 Dec 2008
This is an utterly charming book, it is funny and gently serious, a robust rummage through hedgehogabilia. So close up are they to the reader that you can almost hear them snuffling.

I'm not even interested in hedgehogs..., 20 Nov 2008
I'm not even interested particularly in hedgehogs, but this book took me on a journey that was informative, poignant, humorous,,, Hugh Warwick's passion and mission shine through every page. For these reasons A Prickly Affair opened up my mind to something I might never have let in.... I think this book is going to become a classic. And now I'm just waiting for a hedgehog to wander into my life....

beautiful!, 03 Nov 2008
an absolutely beautifully presented book on those little furry creatures hedgehogs! whether you merely have an interest in hogs, have a few residents or are an enthusiast this is the book for you! was going to give this to my mum for christmas but had to give it early as i wanted to read it! gorgeous little drawings of hogs every few pages! beautiful!

A beautiful book., 02 Nov 2008
I heard Hugh Warwick, the author of this lovely book, on the radio the other day. A man with a true passion for hedgehogs I ordered the book immediately! It is a beautifully presented book (it would make a super gift for anyone keen on wildlife and hedgehogs in particular) and the content is a delight to read. Mr Warwick's love for our prickly friends shines through every page. The book offers anecdotes and advice plus a lot more - different chapters deal with various aspect relating to hedgehogs, all very readable written in an enthusiastic and uplifting way.
I am a hedgehog carer and lover of wildlife and I love this book!

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

We're all doomed, 16 Dec 2008
Without bees, no pollenation. Without pollenation, no variey of flora. Without that, no small insect life. And of course no richness in diet.

Timely, persuasive and necessary, 25 Jul 2008
If climate change doesn't get you, the disappearance of the honeybee will - this is the rather gloomy message of Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum's well researched and engagingly written new book on Colony Collapse Disorder - a honeybee `plague' which has already killed millions of bees worldwide. Some 90 commercial crops owe their continued existence to the pollination services provided free of charge by the honeybee so its fair to say that A World Without Bees is an important book. For it to succeed in its mission it has to put the fear of God into us without losing us to jargon. It does so admirably, taking us through the rather complicated but interesting world of honeybee health, politics and economics and delivering us to a conclusion which lays the blame firmly on our own shoulders. Time to start talking about bee rights? Could be.

Unique, valuable, objective; a fantastically GOOD book, 24 Jun 2008
I read this wonderful book in one very long sitting; I really could not stop once I started. Having grown up surrounded, in my immediate family, by the 1950's acute nature-awareness of the early Soil Association days of Bob Waller and Harold Horne et al, it was like deja vu to me.
The authors have been very disciplined in producing a really worthwhile book; it is almost perfectly objective, and therefore above cheap criticism. They have worked immensely hard to source a huge amount of sound material, and they have taken the trouble to understand it thoroughly before using it in their book. And the mystery at issue is no less than how terrifyingly detached from truth we are becoming, and how little we now understand our own misery and poverty of life in the midst of all our illusion of ease; how deprived of reality we have already become.
Read it! In the morning, the evening, on the train, in the bath, but read it. It is more real than most other stuff you will find on printed paper or glowing on a monitor any day of the year.

I just love Planet Earth!, 25 Oct 2008
It makes you want to travel around this beautiful world and forget about all the ugly and bad things that are happening on this planet.

Great completment to the series!, 10 Oct 2008
This is a very well made book about the series and compltements it well. As books do you can linger on the pages, read the explanatory notes in your own time and take it a page at a time.

Fills in loads of details about issues and facts that can only be glossed over on TV,


Simply Superb, 30 May 2008
This book describes the Earth in its truest sense, Not what we see every day, but what we should see and help protect.!! A spectacle. It appeals to every human soul, A delight to read it over and over again.

Recommended now and for generations to come..

Breathtaking,beautiful and at times thought provoking., 16 Dec 2007
This book is a portfolio of the best moments from the Planet earth series.It covers everything from the great sands to the shallow seas.11 different sections in total.I recieved it as a birthday gift and couldnt be more pleased with it. The photos are absolutely stunning and at times thought provoking.The lone polar bear surrounded by melting sea ice really did move me.I have looked at the photos time and time again and they are still as special as when i first saw them.If you love wildlife photography then i can't see how you could not enjoy this.Faultless.

A real gem, 25 Apr 2008
This book is fascinating for any tree enthusiast.
It is the perfect tool you can use to identify different tree types.
The writing style is concise and in-depth.
A sheer masterpiece.
Picture quality is high definition. Images are portrayed in vivid detail.
This book is fantastic.
If you are even slightly interested in trees or want to expand your knowledge of trees buy this book.



A dream publication - Sheer quality, 10 Apr 2008
This publication just oozes quality from the high definition colour photography to the research and layout. I have several reference books relating to British trees and this one stands tall above all the others. The number of quality colour photographs is staggering.

If you are seeking a complete reference this book does exactly what it says on the cover, if I could have given it six stars I would have.

An excellent read, 17 Dec 2008
It is not often that I race through non-fiction, but Mr Warwick writes well and hedgehogs prove a fascinating subject. He not only clearly adores hedgehogs but he also delights in the quirky characters who live alongside them (from the hedgehog rescuers through to owners who enter them into hedgehog Olympics). Presumably timed for the Christmas market, this is an excellent present - for yourself or others - that won't just sit unread on the bookshelf.

hedgehogabilia, 11 Dec 2008
This is an utterly charming book, it is funny and gently serious, a robust rummage through hedgehogabilia. So close up are they to the reader that you can almost hear them snuffling.

I'm not even interested in hedgehogs..., 20 Nov 2008
I'm not even interested particularly in hedgehogs, but this book took me on a journey that was informative, poignant, humorous,,, Hugh Warwick's passion and mission shine through every page. For these reasons A Prickly Affair opened up my mind to something I might never have let in.... I think this book is going to become a classic. And now I'm just waiting for a hedgehog to wander into my life....

beautiful!, 03 Nov 2008
an absolutely beautifully presented book on those little furry creatures hedgehogs! whether you merely have an interest in hogs, have a few residents or are an enthusiast this is the book for you! was going to give this to my mum for christmas but had to give it early as i wanted to read it! gorgeous little drawings of hogs every few pages! beautiful!

A beautiful book., 02 Nov 2008
I heard Hugh Warwick, the author of this lovely book, on the radio the other day. A man with a true passion for hedgehogs I ordered the book immediately! It is a beautifully presented book (it would make a super gift for anyone keen on wildlife and hedgehogs in particular) and the content is a delight to read. Mr Warwick's love for our prickly friends shines through every page. The book offers anecdotes and advice plus a lot more - different chapters deal with various aspect relating to hedgehogs, all very readable written in an enthusiastic and uplifting way.
I am a hedgehog carer and lover of wildlife and I love this book!

Superb illustrations and highly informative, 22 Dec 2008
I am very impressed by this book. I'm a keen bird-watcher and have many bird books, but must say that the photographs and illustrations in this book are outstandingly good. The distribution maps appear to be up-to-date reflecting the spread North of some species as the climate warms. It's very difficult nowadays to get pictures of birds' eggs and so I am delighted to see excellent examples in this publication. The birds described are not exclusively the common garden birds and I think this book would be useful for identifying most of the birds you're likely to encounter in the countryside. It's not just about birds: there are most informative and well-illustrated sections on amphibians, mammals, butterflies and moths that you may see in your garden and beyond. With the modern emphasis on habitat being crucial to encouraging wildlife there is helpful advice about which garden plants are beneficial and which wild-flowers to encourage. Altogether a "must have" for anybody interested in the other life forms that share your garden.
The book would be good value at the full price and is an absolute bargain at the discounted one.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

We're all doomed, 16 Dec 2008
Without bees, no pollenation. Without pollenation, no variey of flora. Without that, no small insect life. And of course no richness in diet.

Timely, persuasive and necessary, 25 Jul 2008
If climate change doesn't get you, the disappearance of the honeybee will - this is the rather gloomy message of Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum's well researched and engagingly written new book on Colony Collapse Disorder - a honeybee `plague' which has already killed millions of bees worldwide. Some 90 commercial crops owe their continued existence to the pollination services provided free of charge by the honeybee so its fair to say that A World Without Bees is an important book. For it to succeed in its mission it has to put the fear of God into us without losing us to jargon. It does so admirably, taking us through the rather complicated but interesting world of honeybee health, politics and economics and delivering us to a conclusion which lays the blame firmly on our own shoulders. Time to start talking about bee rights? Could be.

Unique, valuable, objective; a fantastically GOOD book, 24 Jun 2008
I read this wonderful book in one very long sitting; I really could not stop once I started. Having grown up surrounded, in my immediate family, by the 1950's acute nature-awareness of the early Soil Association days of Bob Waller and Harold Horne et al, it was like deja vu to me.
The authors have been very disciplined in producing a really worthwhile book; it is almost perfectly objective, and therefore above cheap criticism. They have worked immensely hard to source a huge amount of sound material, and they have taken the trouble to understand it thoroughly before using it in their book. And the mystery at issue is no less than how terrifyingly detached from truth we are becoming, and how little we now understand our own misery and poverty of life in the midst of all our illusion of ease; how deprived of reality we have already become.
Read it! In the morning, the evening, on the train, in the bath, but read it. It is more real than most other stuff you will find on printed paper or glowing on a monitor any day of the year.

I just love Planet Earth!, 25 Oct 2008
It makes you want to travel around this beautiful world and forget about all the ugly and bad things that are happening on this planet.

Great completment to the series!, 10 Oct 2008
This is a very well made book about the series and compltements it well. As books do you can linger on the pages, read the explanatory notes in your own time and take it a page at a time.

Fills in loads of details about issues and facts that can only be glossed over on TV,


Simply Superb, 30 May 2008
This book describes the Earth in its truest sense, Not what we see every day, but what we should see and help protect.!! A spectacle. It appeals to every human soul, A delight to read it over and over again.

Recommended now and for generations to come..

Breathtaking,beautiful and at times thought provoking., 16 Dec 2007
This book is a portfolio of the best moments from the Planet earth series.It covers everything from the great sands to the shallow seas.11 different sections in total.I recieved it as a birthday gift and couldnt be more pleased with it. The photos are absolutely stunning and at times thought provoking.The lone polar bear surrounded by melting sea ice really did move me.I have looked at the photos time and time again and they are still as special as when i first saw them.If you love wildlife photography then i can't see how you could not enjoy this.Faultless.

A real gem, 25 Apr 2008
This book is fascinating for any tree enthusiast.
It is the perfect tool you can use to identify different tree types.
The writing style is concise and in-depth.
A sheer masterpiece.
Picture quality is high definition. Images are portrayed in vivid detail.
This book is fantastic.
If you are even slightly interested in trees or want to expand your knowledge of trees buy this book.



A dream publication - Sheer quality, 10 Apr 2008
This publication just oozes quality from the high definition colour photography to the research and layout. I have several reference books relating to British trees and this one stands tall above all the others. The number of quality colour photographs is staggering.

If you are seeking a complete reference this book does exactly what it says on the cover, if I could have given it six stars I would have.

An excellent read, 17 Dec 2008
It is not often that I race through non-fiction, but Mr Warwick writes well and hedgehogs prove a fascinating subject. He not only clearly adores hedgehogs but he also delights in the quirky characters who live alongside them (from the hedgehog rescuers through to owners who enter them into hedgehog Olympics). Presumably timed for the Christmas market, this is an excellent present - for yourself or others - that won't just sit unread on the bookshelf.

hedgehogabilia, 11 Dec 2008
This is an utterly charming book, it is funny and gently serious, a robust rummage through hedgehogabilia. So close up are they to the reader that you can almost hear them snuffling.

I'm not even interested in hedgehogs..., 20 Nov 2008
I'm not even interested particularly in hedgehogs, but this book took me on a journey that was informative, poignant, humorous,,, Hugh Warwick's passion and mission shine through every page. For these reasons A Prickly Affair opened up my mind to something I might never have let in.... I think this book is going to become a classic. And now I'm just waiting for a hedgehog to wander into my life....

beautiful!, 03 Nov 2008
an absolutely beautifully presented book on those little furry creatures hedgehogs! whether you merely have an interest in hogs, have a few residents or are an enthusiast this is the book for you! was going to give this to my mum for christmas but had to give it early as i wanted to read it! gorgeous little drawings of hogs every few pages! beautiful!

A beautiful book., 02 Nov 2008
I heard Hugh Warwick, the author of this lovely book, on the radio the other day. A man with a true passion for hedgehogs I ordered the book immediately! It is a beautifully presented book (it would make a super gift for anyone keen on wildlife and hedgehogs in particular) and the content is a delight to read. Mr Warwick's love for our prickly friends shines through every page. The book offers anecdotes and advice plus a lot more - different chapters deal with various aspect relating to hedgehogs, all very readable written in an enthusiastic and uplifting way.
I am a hedgehog carer and lover of wildlife and I love this book!

Superb illustrations and highly informative, 22 Dec 2008
I am very impressed by this book. I'm a keen bird-watcher and have many bird books, but must say that the photographs and illustrations in this book are outstandingly good. The distribution maps appear to be up-to-date reflecting the spread North of some species as the climate warms. It's very difficult nowadays to get pictures of birds' eggs and so I am delighted to see excellent examples in this publication. The birds described are not exclusively the common garden birds and I think this book would be useful for identifying most of the birds you're likely to encounter in the countryside. It's not just about birds: there are most informative and well-illustrated sections on amphibians, mammals, butterflies and moths that you may see in your garden and beyond. With the modern emphasis on habitat being crucial to encouraging wildlife there is helpful advice about which garden plants are beneficial and which wild-flowers to encourage. Altogether a "must have" for anybody interested in the other life forms that share your garden.
The book would be good value at the full price and is an absolute bargain at the discounted one.

Mole Catching, 16 Dec 2008
We found that not a lot is written about the mole, but we were delighted to find several books at Amazon, among them this one. It is very informative and as environmentally friendly farmers catching moles has become a way of life on a daily basis. We appreciate that the mole airiates the land and has its own life to live, but we would prefer he did it where he didn't make a mess of the meadows.
So we have sought various ways to capture him without harming him over the years, but still never knew enough about this little creature. Therefore we purchased this book and one called Animal Neighbours The Mole, and have found both to be thoroughly informative and we would recommend both books to people who, like us, up until now, know very little about the mole other than he makes a mess of one's lawn.
Incidently, a whacker plate, used for pounding chunks of limestone into small pieces is very effective to shift moles out of the garden, you may give him a thumping headache, but we would recommend it over Jasper Carrot's idea of hanging upside down and suspended from a tree with a shotgun in the middle of the night! However, other than using either of these two ideas to catch a mole, buy this book!

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

We're all doomed, 16 Dec 2008
Without bees, no pollenation. Without pollenation, no variey of flora. Without that, no small insect life. And of course no richness in diet.

Timely, persuasive and necessary, 25 Jul 2008
If climate change doesn't get you, the disappearance of the honeybee will - this is the rather gloomy message of Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum's well researched and engagingly written new book on Colony Collapse Disorder - a honeybee `plague' which has already killed millions of bees worldwide. Some 90 commercial crops owe their continued existence to the pollination services provided free of charge by the honeybee so its fair to say that A World Without Bees is an important book. For it to succeed in its mission it has to put the fear of God into us without losing us to jargon. It does so admirably, taking us through the rather complicated but interesting world of honeybee health, politics and economics and delivering us to a conclusion which lays the blame firmly on our own shoulders. Time to start talking about bee rights? Could be.

Unique, valuable, objective; a fantastically GOOD book, 24 Jun 2008
I read this wonderful book in one very long sitting; I really could not stop once I started. Having grown up surrounded, in my immediate family, by the 1950's acute nature-awareness of the early Soil Association days of Bob Waller and Harold Horne et al, it was like deja vu to me.
The authors have been very disciplined in producing a really worthwhile book; it is almost perfectly objective, and therefore above cheap criticism. They have worked immensely hard to source a huge amount of sound material, and they have taken the trouble to understand it thoroughly before using it in their book. And the mystery at issue is no less than how terrifyingly detached from truth we are becoming, and how little we now understand our own misery and poverty of life in the midst of all our illusion of ease; how deprived of reality we have already become.
Read it! In the morning, the evening, on the train, in the bath, but read it. It is more real than most other stuff you will find on printed paper or glowing on a monitor any day of the year.

I just love Planet Earth!, 25 Oct 2008
It makes you want to travel around this beautiful world and forget about all the ugly and bad things that are happening on this planet.

Great completment to the series!, 10 Oct 2008
This is a very well made book about the series and compltements it well. As books do you can linger on the pages, read the explanatory notes in your own time and take it a page at a time.

Fills in loads of details about issues and facts that can only be glossed over on TV,


Simply Superb, 30 May 2008
This book describes the Earth in its truest sense, Not what we see every day, but what we should see and help protect.!! A spectacle. It appeals to every human soul, A delight to read it over and over again.

Recommended now and for generations to come..