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The Splendor of Birds: Art and Photographs From National Geographic
An elegant collection of the best artwork and photography from the National Geographic archives depicting the magnificence of birds.
Bird, nature, and art lovers alike will treasure this sumptuous visual celebration of the colors, forms, and behaviors of the winged wonders who share our world as they have been explored, displayed, and revealed throughout the years by National Geographic. The book moves chronologically so readers witness the tremendous growth in our knowledge of birds over the last 130 years, as well as the new frontiers in technology and observation--from luminous vintage paintings and classic black and white photographs to state-of-the art high-speed and telephoto camera shots that reveal moments rarely seen and sights invisible to the human eye. The wide diversity of pictures captures beloved songbirds outside the kitchen window, theatrical courtship dance of birds of paradise, tender moments inside a tern's nest, or the vivid flash of a hummingbird's flight. Readers will delight in seeing iconic species from around the world through the eyes of acclaimed National Geographic wildlife photographers such as Chris Johns, Frans Lanting, Joel Sartore, and Tim Laman and reading excerpted passages from Arthur A. Allen, Roger Tory Peterson, Douglas Chadwick, Jane Goodall, and other great explorers. Exquisitely produced and expertly curated, this visual treasury displays as never before the irresistible beauty, grace, and intelligence of our feathered friends.
Bird, nature, and art lovers alike will treasure this sumptuous visual celebration of the colors, forms, and behaviors of the winged wonders who share our world as they have been explored, displayed, and revealed throughout the years by National Geographic. The book moves chronologically so readers witness the tremendous growth in our knowledge of birds over the last 130 years, as well as the new frontiers in technology and observation--from luminous vintage paintings and classic black and white photographs to state-of-the art high-speed and telephoto camera shots that reveal moments rarely seen and sights invisible to the human eye. The wide diversity of pictures captures beloved songbirds outside the kitchen window, theatrical courtship dance of birds of paradise, tender moments inside a tern's nest, or the vivid flash of a hummingbird's flight. Readers will delight in seeing iconic species from around the world through the eyes of acclaimed National Geographic wildlife photographers such as Chris Johns, Frans Lanting, Joel Sartore, and Tim Laman and reading excerpted passages from Arthur A. Allen, Roger Tory Peterson, Douglas Chadwick, Jane Goodall, and other great explorers. Exquisitely produced and expertly curated, this visual treasury displays as never before the irresistible beauty, grace, and intelligence of our feathered friends.
512 pages, Hardcover
Published October 23, 2018
60 people want to read
About the author
National Geographic Society
4,225 books1,121 followersThe National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 1, 2019
Summary: This was awesome! Fantastic photography, fascinating history - I loved it.
This collection of bird photography, organized to cover bird conservation and National Geographic history, was fantastic. Unlike many coffee table books, the text was substantive. There wasn't so much of it that this couldn't be enjoyed just to look through, but what was there had depth. I loved learning about the way bird photography has changed. Seeing the older pictures and thinking about technical limitations of the time was fascinating. And even among these older pictures, with their technical limitations, there were picture I'd have been thrilled to take. In the newer pictures, there are some where it would be a peak life experience if I were able to take a picture like that. Which is to say that, like the text, the pictures did not disappoint!
A few of my other favorite parts of this book were the fun features comparing the past and present scattered throughout. Some covered interesting topics like what we know about migration, while others focused on interesting birds. I thought it was hilarious that photographers used to have an assistant whose job was just to walk away, assuming birds couldn't count and would be fooled into thinking all the people had left. The parts on how WWII shaped the way birds were covered in National Geographic were delightful. I loved getting to learn about history and birds and society all at one go. Another awesome feature were quotes from the National Geographic articles that went with the pictures. Many were written by the photographer and gave a great glimpse into bird behavior. The only very small negative thing I have to say about it is that I'd loved it even more if every picture included location information.
This is by far my favorite National Geographic coffee table I've picked up. The pictures were stunning and I learned a lot, despite being able to page through it pretty quickly. I'd highly recommend it as a gift for the birder or photographer in your life. I enjoyed this immensely.
For more reviews, check out the other stops on the tour.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey
This collection of bird photography, organized to cover bird conservation and National Geographic history, was fantastic. Unlike many coffee table books, the text was substantive. There wasn't so much of it that this couldn't be enjoyed just to look through, but what was there had depth. I loved learning about the way bird photography has changed. Seeing the older pictures and thinking about technical limitations of the time was fascinating. And even among these older pictures, with their technical limitations, there were picture I'd have been thrilled to take. In the newer pictures, there are some where it would be a peak life experience if I were able to take a picture like that. Which is to say that, like the text, the pictures did not disappoint!
A few of my other favorite parts of this book were the fun features comparing the past and present scattered throughout. Some covered interesting topics like what we know about migration, while others focused on interesting birds. I thought it was hilarious that photographers used to have an assistant whose job was just to walk away, assuming birds couldn't count and would be fooled into thinking all the people had left. The parts on how WWII shaped the way birds were covered in National Geographic were delightful. I loved getting to learn about history and birds and society all at one go. Another awesome feature were quotes from the National Geographic articles that went with the pictures. Many were written by the photographer and gave a great glimpse into bird behavior. The only very small negative thing I have to say about it is that I'd loved it even more if every picture included location information.
This is by far my favorite National Geographic coffee table I've picked up. The pictures were stunning and I learned a lot, despite being able to page through it pretty quickly. I'd highly recommend it as a gift for the birder or photographer in your life. I enjoyed this immensely.
For more reviews, check out the other stops on the tour.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey
October 24, 2018
The Splendor of Birds: Art and Photographs From National Geographic is a very highly recommended collection of the best artwork and photography from the National Geographic archives featuring birds.
This visually stunning, breath-takingly beautiful collection covers 130 years of the National Geographic collection of photos and artwork celebrating birds. The Splendor of Birds was created to commemorate the Year of the Bird initiative, which is a year-long effort dedicated to protecting and celebrating birds. The gorgeous large hardcover book is arranged chronologically so readers can witness the tremendous growth in our knowledge of birds: Chapter 1 covers 1888-1939; Chapter 2 1940-1969; Chapter 3 1970-1999; and Chapter 4 covers 2000-2018. At the end of the book is a list of all the contributors with a short biography of each of them. There is also a species index.
Since being founded in 1880, the National Geographic Society has a long-standing tradition of supporting increased knowledge, including about birds. They have funded nearly 1,000 scientific grants which focused on birds and have invested nearly 2 million dollars over the last two years on projects to protect and understand birds.
The gorgeous photography and lovely artwork from National Geographic are depicted together to honor the history and wonder of birds. There are also then and now comparisons throughout the book as well as short featured pictures of individual topics, for example babies, nests, and feathers. The diversity of the photos of birds from around the world is amazing, moving from vintage black and white photos to the current day state-of-the-art camera shots. All the pictures are magnificent and some are stunning. Some of the photos are so incredible they seem unbelievable or even surrealistic. The sheer beauty of some of the photos may move you to tears, as they did me.
Ever since my father, a dedicated nature lover and bird watcher, took all of us to the Platte River in Nebraska every year in the 60's and 70's to watch the migrations of the Sand Hill cranes and the whooping cranes, I have loved watching birds. The picture of the sand hill cranes on pages 482-483 brought all those many viewings back to life for me and I wish my father was still here so I could share this book with him.
This volume is truly a keepsake that will be cherished for years. I would also keep this in mind for the upcoming holiday season since The Splendor of Birds would make an excellent gift.
Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from National Geographic and TLC.
This visually stunning, breath-takingly beautiful collection covers 130 years of the National Geographic collection of photos and artwork celebrating birds. The Splendor of Birds was created to commemorate the Year of the Bird initiative, which is a year-long effort dedicated to protecting and celebrating birds. The gorgeous large hardcover book is arranged chronologically so readers can witness the tremendous growth in our knowledge of birds: Chapter 1 covers 1888-1939; Chapter 2 1940-1969; Chapter 3 1970-1999; and Chapter 4 covers 2000-2018. At the end of the book is a list of all the contributors with a short biography of each of them. There is also a species index.
Since being founded in 1880, the National Geographic Society has a long-standing tradition of supporting increased knowledge, including about birds. They have funded nearly 1,000 scientific grants which focused on birds and have invested nearly 2 million dollars over the last two years on projects to protect and understand birds.
The gorgeous photography and lovely artwork from National Geographic are depicted together to honor the history and wonder of birds. There are also then and now comparisons throughout the book as well as short featured pictures of individual topics, for example babies, nests, and feathers. The diversity of the photos of birds from around the world is amazing, moving from vintage black and white photos to the current day state-of-the-art camera shots. All the pictures are magnificent and some are stunning. Some of the photos are so incredible they seem unbelievable or even surrealistic. The sheer beauty of some of the photos may move you to tears, as they did me.
Ever since my father, a dedicated nature lover and bird watcher, took all of us to the Platte River in Nebraska every year in the 60's and 70's to watch the migrations of the Sand Hill cranes and the whooping cranes, I have loved watching birds. The picture of the sand hill cranes on pages 482-483 brought all those many viewings back to life for me and I wish my father was still here so I could share this book with him.
This volume is truly a keepsake that will be cherished for years. I would also keep this in mind for the upcoming holiday season since The Splendor of Birds would make an excellent gift.
Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from National Geographic and TLC.
January 11, 2019
Come for the excellent photos and stay for the excellent photos and pretty thoughtful text too. The table top size makes it a bit awkward as a reading book and the into bits to each chapter section had odd paragraph formatting when they went from full width page to column format but really the photos are worth it. The clarity of the old ones in particular is phenomenal. They hyper detail shots at the end were neat but five preferred them to stick to full bird shots.
April 5, 2022
This is a neat book about birds. A great coffee table book. Wonderful photos.
January 12, 2024
Бьютифуль. Прекрасно собранная и структурированная книга.
November 11, 2018
he only birds I see on a regular basis are the pigeons when I get off the subway. To me, they're more of a nuisance than a thing of beauty. But I'm all for getting out of my comfort zone and looking at things in a new light.
The Splendor of Birds, a 500-plus page tome, is a vivid exploration of more than 130 years worth of photos and paintings from the National Geographic archive. And "vivid" seems like such a mild description of the artwork in this book. To truly grasp it, you have to see the photos/artwork up close. The vibrant colors of some of the birds, like cobalt winged parakeets, ostriches, and hummingbirds, really pop on the page.
Read the rest of my review at: http://asiturnthepages.blogspot.com/2...
The Splendor of Birds, a 500-plus page tome, is a vivid exploration of more than 130 years worth of photos and paintings from the National Geographic archive. And "vivid" seems like such a mild description of the artwork in this book. To truly grasp it, you have to see the photos/artwork up close. The vibrant colors of some of the birds, like cobalt winged parakeets, ostriches, and hummingbirds, really pop on the page.
Read the rest of my review at: http://asiturnthepages.blogspot.com/2...
July 30, 2023
the pictures were so amazing. i wish there were cockatiel pictures though.
owned-tbr
November 6, 2018
The first thing I realized about this book is that it is absolutely massive. There will be no laying leisurely in bed holding this above my head while reading. I drop books and iPads on my face all the time. If I drop this book, I would do myself an injury.
The second thing I realized is that it is absolutely amazing.
This is a history of National Geographic's coverage of birds from the 1800s until now. It is the best of their wonderful photography. There are sections about how birds have been covered in the magazine. There are articles comparing and contrasting articles on similar topics many years apart like this spread of what was known about hummingbird flight in 1957 and 2017.
This isn't a book that you are going to sit down and read right through. It is a book to dive into a little bit at a time so you can savor the pictures and the knowledge. I'm looking forward to reading slowly through this book to properly enjoy it.
This is a high quality coffee table book that is perfect for anyone who loves birds and/or photography.
Tuesday, October 23rd: Doing Dewey
Tuesday, October 23rd: Just a Secular Homeschooler
Wednesday, October 24th: Minnesota Birdnerd
Thursday, October 25th: she treads softly
Saturday, October 27th: The Bird Blogger
Monday, October 29th: As I turn the pages
Monday, October 29th: Birdchick
Tuesday, October 30th: Well-Read Naturalist
Tuesday, October 30th: Instagram: @the_need_to_read
Wednesday, October 31st: Instagram: @dropandgivemenerdy
Thursday, November 1st: Helen's Book Blog
Thursday, November 1st: Jathan & Heather
Tuesday, November 6th: Based on a True Story
Wednesday, November 7th: Instagram: @megabunnyreads
Wednesday, November 8th: The Birders Library
Friday, November 9th: Wall-to-Wall Books
Friday, November 9th: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie's Book Reviews
Monday, November 12th: 10000 Birds
Thanks to TLC Book Tours and National Geographic for hosting this book tour.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
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March 25, 2019Five hundred pages, almost all beautiful photographs, of birds. Birds of all sizes and shapes and colors and geographical habitats. The book is arranged chronologically, tracing the coverage and exposure National Geographic gave to these avian creatures over the last century and a half. I looked at every page but read very little, primarily the captions, which are short and identify each bird pictured. Some of the photos are stunning because the birds are. (Despite many rare bird types that are bizarre and unusual, the owls are still the weirdest looking in my opinion.)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews