Africa: Eye to Eye with the Unknown by Michael Bright

Taken from the back cover:
'Think you know Africa? Think again. Nowhere is more savage, more dangerous, yet more beautiful and astonishing than this mysterious continent. Witness new animals, new behaviour, and an Africa at its most unexpected in this companion to the landmark new BBC One series.'

Africa is an attempt to present the natural wildlife that live in this beautiful continent in a new way. It definitely succeeded in opening my eyes to the rich diversity of life that exists in Africa. It shifts the focus from the usual lions and hippos to more obscure creatures such as the upside-down catfish and Bryde's whale. You still get glimpses of the more popular inhabitants but their role in the wider community is highlighted. The style of writing is easy to read and feels like you're actually there witnessing these animals for yourself. I found I didn't want to put the book down. The descriptions are vivid, an effect that is enhanced by the stunning photographs. Some of the images really took me by surprise as they're so incredible. Others fascinated me. It'll be interesting to see the videos that link to them once they are live. One of the only criticisms I have is that there were some animals mentioned that weren't included in the photos and so if like me you're not too knowledgeable about more obscure African wildlife you will be left wondering what some of them are. The only other one I have is that there are a couple of pictures that aren't captioned and they happened to be the ones I wanted to know a little more about. However, there is plenty to discover in this book and it's one that I've found myself sharing with others, whether it's to point out the awesome picture of a meercat on a guy's hat or the Namaqualand Desert in bloom, share a fact such as elephants are scared of bees or publish a Facebook status along the lines of "All fear the honey badger!" It's also a book that manages to get across the tragic situations that face some of these animals, particularly how the drought of 2009 affected the elephants and how many young fail to survive the first few months as they become dinner or are simply overwhelmed by the harsh conditions. It's a great journey of discovery that will interest both those who have never read a book on Africa before and those who have been to visit.

On the whole, this is a brilliant book that drew me in and kept me interested a lot more successfully than I anticipated. It's also made me want to go to Africa and experience some of the wildlife for myself. I'm gutted that I won't be able to watch the show as it seems really promising based on the book. It's definitely one I'll be recommending.

I give it 9/10 :)

Title: Africa: Eye to Eye with the Unknown
Author: Michael Bright
Publisher: Quercus
Natural History