Description:
Great Cats is a beautifully illustrated travelogue of one man's unusual adventure. In 1993, soldier-turned-award-winning-artist Simon Combes set out to observe and paint the nine great cats of the world in their natural habitats. Combes circled the globe to accomplish this feat, braving blizzards and blowguns. He breaks his account down into three three-cat sections: Cats of the Jungle (Thailand's Clouded Leopard, Venezuela's Jaguar, and India's Bengal Tiger), Cats of the Snow (Siberia's Siberian Tiger, Mongolia's Snow Leopard, North America's Cougar), and Cats of the Plains (Kenya's Cheetah and Tanzania's Leopard and Lion). Combes's skillful sketches and photographic paintings are matched only by his fresh and engaging commentary. As a gifted artist, Combes is very perceptive, and he employs this talent both on and off the canvas, making wry and sometimes hysterical observations of the human subjects he encounters. The cats, however, are given only reverent scrutiny, and anyone who is drawn to the power and beauty of these regal creatures will find Combes a kindred spirit and capable guide. One of the most thoughtful additions to the book is an information box for each cat, detailing its behavior, habitat, population status, and principal threats. Combes gravely notes that the most serious threat to each of the cats is human encroachment on its dwindling habitat. --Paul Hughes
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