Dear [fname],
A belated happy new year to you, hopefully this will be
a good year for you in many ways.
January is always a quiet month from the publishers, but
we missed a few in December so the list is not as sparse
as it usually is.
Elephant Whisperer was one of those which slipped
through, and has proved to be a best seller. Our
recommended 'treat' for the month>
And don't forget to have a look at the latest
birding titles.
Best regards, Craig Thom
For the latest Birding Tiles go
here and Fly
Fishing titles go
here
Recommended
The
Elephant Whisperer -Lawrence Anthony; Graham Spence
R215.00
The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Battle to Save His Herd. When South
African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of
"rogue" elephants on his reserve at Thula Thula, his commonsense told him to
refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival - notorious escape
artists, they would all be killed if Lawrence wouldn't take them. He agreed,
but before arrangements for the move could be completed the animals broke
out again and the matriarch and her baby were shot. The remaining elephants
were traumatised and very angry. As Lawrence battled to create a bond with
the elephants and save them from execution, he came to realise that they had
a lot to teach him about love, loyalty and freedom. Set against the
background of life on the reserve, with unforgettable characters and exotic
wildlife, this is a delightful book that will appeal to animal lovers
everywhere. Softcover, 288pgs, 2009
Buy
Online
When
Rustling became an Art. Pilane's Kgatla And The Transvaal Frontier 1820 -1902
-Fred Morton
R269.00
An extended biography, written in a clear, forceful narrative style, of a
father, son and grandson who led their people to political and military
prominence in the western Transvaal and eastern Bechuanaland, during the
spread of Boer and British rule in the 19th century. Theirs is a story of
shrewd risk-takers perpetrating calculated violence, fit for the times. For
Boers and Africans alike, good enterprises were measured in cattle, and the
subjects of this story, the Kgatla under Pilane and his two successors,
Kgamanyane and Linchwe, were uncommonly good. Their accretion over three
generations of stock and the territory to graze them amidst stronger
countervailing forces is testimony to their intellectual prowess,
discipline, daring, and close awareness of the region's turbulent
environment. Softcover, 272pgs, 2009
Buy
Online
A Landscape
of Insects and Other Invertebrates -Duncan MacFadyen; Shem Compion
R295.00
A Landscape of Insects and other Invertebrates is a stepping stone in the
process of documenting and conserving South Africa's huge diversity of
insect life. The images in this volume have all been photographed on the
'Diamond Route' properties belonging to De Beers and the Oppenheimer family,
areas which exist primarily to promote conservation and research.
Celebrating South Africa's wondrous landscapes and ecology, this book is a
must for tourists, nature lovers, students, farmers and conservation
agencies visiting the region. All will find something of interest and beauty
here. Hardcover, 296pgs, 250x250mm 2009
Buy
Online
The
Flying of Falcons -Ed Pitcher; Ricardo Velarde
R850.00
"The flying of falcons" is not a "how to" book, it instead
describes a
philosophy of flying falcons that mirrors their natural development. It
challenges some of the traditional preconceived ideas about how to fly
falcons, and will prove an interesting read. A few years ago on a visit to
the U.S I was staying on a friend's ranch which was being managed by fellow
falconer, Daryl Peterson. Daryl had casually mentioned that Ed Pitcher lived
nearby. Ed Pitchers name in the world of Falconry has become synonymous with
the flying of falcons to the extreme limits of visibility and altitude. So
it is with fond recollection that I remember back to that one afternoon
visit. We sat and chatted about peregrines and in particular the Red shaheen
that Ed had flown and I listened awestruck as he recounted experiences that
he had with this and many of the other falcons he has flown. When asked by
Ricardo Velarde to contribute to this new volume written by Ed I did not
hesitate. Ed's unique viewpoint and freethinking mental approach towards the
training of falcons has become for me a breath of fresh air. It has been a
great honour to be involved with both Ricardo and Ed on this book and I hope
you take from it as much inspiration as I and many others have." Quote by
Andrew Eliis, who has contributed 14 painting and some sketches to the book.
Buy
Online
Orders must be in by the 3rd of February.
NEW
People
of the Eland -Patricia Vinnicombe
R649.00
First published in 1976, People of the Eland was the first major step away
from the outsider's view upon San rock art that had dominated studies of
rock art for nearly a century. The title, an account of the rock art of the
San of the Drakensberg Range, was also about the mountain San themselves:
their lives, their beliefs, their culture and their history during
colonisation. The book not only brought an extraordinary and dynamic body of
art to the attention of a global audience, but also helped to lay the
foundations for a new generation of research into the meaning of prehistoric
art. People of the Eland aimed to gain an insider's view of the rock art
using San understandings of the world. While following this approach, it
quickly became clear to Vinnicombe that the art was very far from simple
depictions of daily life as had once seemed likely, but instead reflected
the most deeply held San beliefs and symbols. Softcover, 400pgs, 250x270mm
2009
Buy
Online
Blood
River, A Journey into Africa's Broken Heart -Tim Butcher
R165.00
Ever since Stanley first charted its mighty river in the 1870s, the Congo
has epitomised the dark and turbulent history of a failed continent - from
colonial cruelty under the Belgians to the kleptocratic chaos of Mobutu Sese
Seko and the current post-apocalyptic riot of robber-baron politicians.
However, its troubles only served to increase the interest of Daily
Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher, who was sent to cover Africa in 2000.
He remembered his mother's stories of her own genteel river journey there in
the 1950s and his connection deepened when he discovered that Stanley's
expedition was funded by the Telegraph. Before long he became obsessed with
the idea of recreating Stanley's original expedition - but travelling alone.
Softcover, 272pgs, 192x128mm 2008 Buy
Online
Darwin's
Camera ** -Phillip Prodger
R599.00
Darwin's Camera tells the extraordinary story of how Charles Darwin changed
the way pictures are seen and made.
In his illustrated masterpiece, Expression of the Emotions in Man and
Animals (1871), Darwin introduced the idea of using photographs to
illustrate a scientific theory--his was the first photographically
illustrated science book ever published. Using photographs to depict
fleeting expressions of emotion--laughter, crying, anger, and so on--as they
flit across a person's face, he managed to produce dramatic images at a time
when photography was famously slow and awkward. The book describes how
Darwin struggled to get the pictures he needed, scouring the galleries,
bookshops, and photographic studios of London, looking for pictures to
satisfy his demand for expressive imagery. He finally settled on one the
giants of photographic history, the eccentric art photographer Oscar
Rejlander, to make his pictures. Hardcover, 320pgs, 257x188mm 2009
Buy
Online
Fish
Tales: Stories & Recipes from Sustainable Fisheries Around the World-Bart
Van Olphen; Tom Kime
R269.00
From the wild salmon caught in the Yukon river in Alaska, to clams harvested
from the Mekong delta in Vietnam, this book tells the stories of sustainable
fisheries. Each of the 9 chapters focuses on one fish and fishery,
accompanied by delicious recipes by Tom Kime. Including a foreword by the
MSC on the future of our oceans and its work around the globe, FISH TALES
shows the importance of sustainable methods so fish remain a vital
ingredient that we can all enjoy for years to come. Hardcover, 192pgs, 2009
Buy
Online
Wire
Me a Million: The Rise and Fall of Multimillionaire Billy Wolfe, the World's
Most Audacious White-collar Crook
-Jack Shepherd Smith
R195.00
Wire Me a Million is the extraordinary true story of Billy Wolfe, a master
conman who took millions off gullible investors in the US during the 1970s
and 80s before moving his operation to the UK and eventually to South
Africa. During the early 1990s, Wolfe ran a fantastically profitable 'boiler
room' operation from a quiet seaside location in the Eastern Cape,
convincing ordinary people to part with their life savings in exchange for
'a piece of the action' - gold and precious metals futures, shares in a
nonexistent bank in Austria and other scams. Always one step ahead of the
law, sustained by adrenalin and pure chutzpah, Wolfe was wildly successful.
He and his associates enjoyed all the trappings of the five-star life:
luxury Sandton homes, private aircraft, game farms and a steady supply of
cocaine and beautiful blondes - until the authorities eventually closed in.
This is a larger-than-life story, full of lively incident and humour, and is
sure to attract a wide readership. Softcover, 232pgs, 210x135mm 2009
Buy
Online
Walked By Night -Fred Rolfe; Lilias Rider Haggard
R269.00
Fred Rolfe was the 'King of the Norfolk Poachers.' From the time when, as a
child, he went to prison and the tread-mill for snaring a rabbit, he lived "agin
the law." Rolfe began poaching in boyhood and, despite trying other jobs,
including gamekeeping, continued his illegal career with increasing relish.
He wrote I Walked by Night in old age, recording the lives of many tough,
fascinating characters struggling to survive in an era of rural hardship.
Softcover, 182pgs, 165x230mm NE 2009
Buy Online
The
King of the Norfolk Preachers -Charlotte Paton
R269.00
In the early 1930s an elderly mole catcher became the subject of one of East
Anglia's best-loved tales of country life: "I Walked by Night". Over sixty
years later, Norfolk writer Charlotte Paton became fascinated by this man
and set out to find the truth about him, beginning with his name: Frederick
Rolfe. Charlotte conducted exhaustive research provide a vibrant account
with plenty of social history. This book is the biography of a difficult man
who could inspire devotion but came to a tragic end.Hardcover, 224pgs,
160x240mm 2009
Buy Online
How
On Earth? -Terence McCarthy
R189.00
This title sets out to answer commonly asked questions from nature and the
environment. Why is there such a neat fit between the coastlines of Africa
and South America? Why is Table Mountain flat, while the adjacent Twelve
Apostles are so rugged? Where does the pumice stone on the beaches of
Arniston come from? What happens to cause a tsunami? How does rock come to
be folded? For each of some 70 questions there is an explanation, be it
geological, mineralogical, astronomic - whatever the field, the evidence is
carefully presented and explained so that even those with little knowledge
in these fields can understand the processes that have been at work.
Softcover, 160pgs, 170x240mm 2009
Buy
Online