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hebo1987's review against another edition
5.0
Fruktansvärt vackra foton! Välskrivna texter. Rekommenderas varmt för fågel intresserade!
davidjordan's review
5.0
“Birds touch us.” With this simple understatement, Mats & Asa Ottoson begin their compelling presentation of bird photos, detailed descriptions, entertaining stories, and brief interviews with bird enthusiasts. A reader who has chosen this title probably understands that phrase already, but even the initially skeptical will be happily converted, touched by birds, after reading this glorious volume.
One encounters here descriptions of flight abilities that astonish, feeding habits and strategies of startling ingenuity, and natural adaptations of color and shade that boggle the mind. Fascinating migratory patterns are explained, and helpful information for finding and observing particular species are shared.
The authors avoid the off-putting dryness that occasionally accompanies the written communication of natural science, opting instead for a style that is surprisingly enjoyable, frequently witty, and always fascinating. Kira Josefsson deserves a tremendous amount of credit for an English translation that is flawless. In addition, it must be noted here that Roine Magnusson's photos are breathtaking, and contribute no small amount of wonder to an already enjoyable text.
Upon completing this book, I am inspired to immediately head outdoors to revel in my enhanced knowledge of birds and renewed interest in their unique role in our world and my life.
"Birds touch us."
Amen.
(Thanks to NetGalley and Roost books for the digital Advance Reading Copy)
One encounters here descriptions of flight abilities that astonish, feeding habits and strategies of startling ingenuity, and natural adaptations of color and shade that boggle the mind. Fascinating migratory patterns are explained, and helpful information for finding and observing particular species are shared.
The authors avoid the off-putting dryness that occasionally accompanies the written communication of natural science, opting instead for a style that is surprisingly enjoyable, frequently witty, and always fascinating. Kira Josefsson deserves a tremendous amount of credit for an English translation that is flawless. In addition, it must be noted here that Roine Magnusson's photos are breathtaking, and contribute no small amount of wonder to an already enjoyable text.
Upon completing this book, I am inspired to immediately head outdoors to revel in my enhanced knowledge of birds and renewed interest in their unique role in our world and my life.
"Birds touch us."
Amen.
(Thanks to NetGalley and Roost books for the digital Advance Reading Copy)
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Close to Birds is an interesting survey of some of the more common Eurasian bird species. Originally published in 2017 in Swedish, this English translation was released 22nd Oct 2019 by Roost books, it's 272 pages and available in hardcover format.
This is a beautiful, meticulously researched and written book by naturist Mats Ottosson. The birds which are included in the book are mostly accompanied by an essay including the author's anecdotes or stories or personal encounters. The real stars of the book, however, are the incredibly detailed close-up photos. You can easily see the individual feathers, features of the birds' anatomy, everything. This is a true coffee-table book but additionally it's a beautifully presented and very interesting book.
It was odd to me that the book doesn't include the Linnaean classifications in the essays for each bird. It's not a glaring deficiency by any means, a simple internet search will provide the information. There's also no index or bibliography, although there is a short (one page) citations list for the chapter headings (most are translated from Swedish, with a couple of exceptions).
This would make a superlative gift for the nature enthusiast or bird-watcher. It's an amazing display of the photographer's art. It should probably be noted that the photos are not taken in situ but in a light tent. This makes them all the more stark and almost startling in their detail, but some readers will find the style distracting or unnatural. I found them enchanting and magical.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Close to Birds is an interesting survey of some of the more common Eurasian bird species. Originally published in 2017 in Swedish, this English translation was released 22nd Oct 2019 by Roost books, it's 272 pages and available in hardcover format.
This is a beautiful, meticulously researched and written book by naturist Mats Ottosson. The birds which are included in the book are mostly accompanied by an essay including the author's anecdotes or stories or personal encounters. The real stars of the book, however, are the incredibly detailed close-up photos. You can easily see the individual feathers, features of the birds' anatomy, everything. This is a true coffee-table book but additionally it's a beautifully presented and very interesting book.
It was odd to me that the book doesn't include the Linnaean classifications in the essays for each bird. It's not a glaring deficiency by any means, a simple internet search will provide the information. There's also no index or bibliography, although there is a short (one page) citations list for the chapter headings (most are translated from Swedish, with a couple of exceptions).
This would make a superlative gift for the nature enthusiast or bird-watcher. It's an amazing display of the photographer's art. It should probably be noted that the photos are not taken in situ but in a light tent. This makes them all the more stark and almost startling in their detail, but some readers will find the style distracting or unnatural. I found them enchanting and magical.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
ibenmoulton's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
A good coffee table book with some wonderful bird facts and photos. Cool to see and learn about Scandinavia and Northern Europe's birds.
annebennett1957's review
5.0
Stunning photography and helpful insights into the habits of the birds of Europe, with personal encounters described by birding fans. I loved everything about this book. I just wished that there were a North American version of it, since most of the birds I am not familiar with.
My review where I gush a lot: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/07/review-close-to-birds.html
My review where I gush a lot: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/07/review-close-to-birds.html
khoar's review
3.0
These Swedish authors and photographers have produced a beautiful book that would be a great fit for any coffee table. It is filled with beautiful photos of birds and some basic information on flight, migration and a bit about some of the different species contained within. "Why birds? The photographs in this book give one obvious answer: birds are beautiful."
(NetGalley ebook - I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
(NetGalley ebook - I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
softletters's review
5.0
I guess I’m into birds now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I really loved the high quality photos of the birds and personal stories as well as factual information about each one.