Caribou: Wanderer of the Tundra

Rating:
Summary: Excellent photos, but text lack substance
Review: This book is a remarkable photo journal about the caribou.

I purchased the book as there are few texts dedicated to this stunning animal of the north. In the end, I was somewhat disappointed in my purchase. The book is a dazzling compilation of photos of caribou. People used to viewing whitetail deer photos in books and magazines may not appreciate the photos. While this book is short and it seems there are not a lot of pictures, the pictures in the book are splendid. Due to the nomadic nature of caribou and the amount of ground they cover, it would not surprise me if it took a decade to get all the photos to put this 80 page book together.

While I could never express the beauty of the pictures in this book, I was disappointed in the text in the book. I was hoping for some details about the life and habits of caribou. The book does discuss the general life of caribou a little bit, but most of the text is a collection of short stories about event the author/photographer saw to describe the accompanying photos in the book. The stories were okay and were a decent accompaniment to the photos, it just wasn't what I was looking for. This book is a quick read. I was able to get through the entire book in about 2 hours (and I am a slow reader).

The book is filled with top-notch photos of scene few of us will be lucky enough to see in our lifetime. If you are looking for pictures of caribou, this is the book for you. If you are looking for detailed text on the life, habits, and movements of caribou, I would try another book.

Rating:
Summary: Great photographs and more.
Review: Tom Walker makes terrific nature photographs and this book has a lot of them, but this is not just a picture book. The author adds natural history information and his personal observations to create images that are more than visual. One is left with a feeling for a wild and lonely land and the place of the caribou in it. This is a good introduction to the natural history of these fascinating animals.