Mara-Serengeti: A Photographer’s Paradise

From Booklist

Beautiful pictures connect two new books celebrating the wildlife of Africa.

Coppard has moved beyond the savannas in Kenya to travel the deserts of Namibia, the rain forests of the Congo basin, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and the kopjes of South Africa. Four chapters cover the basic ecology of Africa, beginning with a succinct overview of the geology and landscapes found there. Climate and natural vegetation each receive a chapter, driving home the immense diversity found in a continent the majority of which lies within the tropics. The final introductory chapter provides an informative listing of the major national parks, listed country by country. The second, larger section examines Africa’s wildlife, divided taxonomically into surveys of the hoofed animals, elephants, carnivores, primates, reptiles, and birds. Overall, the text provides good basic information and an excellent introduction to Africa and its wildlife, but the true strength of the book is the collection of stunning photographs chosen to illustrate the text.

The Mara-Serengeti ecosystem may be the most famous, and most photographed, place in Africa. Straddling the Kenya-Tanzania border, this vast complex of grasslands, rocky kopjes, and rivers is traversed by one of the world’s great migrations, as hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebras trek the landscape following the rains and the grasses they bring. Scott was born and raised in England, but since coming to Kenya 25 years ago and marrying native-born Angie, he has made his home in Africa. Living near the Masai-Mara Nature reserve, the authors focus on the wildlife and landscape of these seemingly boundless plains in this striking collection of photographs. Introductory text, graced with the author’s drawings, sets the scene for each section of images concentrating on one element in the ecosystem. The somewhat steep price might make this an alternate selection, but the magnificence of the photographs makes the cost well worth it. Nancy Bent
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About the Author

Jonathan Scott studied zoology at the Queen’s University of Belfast before traveling overland through Africa in 1974. He has written and illustrated 12 books on African wildlife. He appears regularly on television in Europe and North America including the highly acclaimed BBC Discovery wildlife series “Big Cat Diary.” In 1994 he was awarded the Cherry Kearton Award by the Royal Geographical Society for his photographs of African wildlife. Angie Scott was born and raised in Africa and shares Jonathan’s enthusiasm for East Africa, its people and its wildlife, and together they work as a highly productive team. When not on safari, Jonathan and Angie spend their time with their children, Alia and David, at their home in Nairobi, overlooking the beautiful Ngong Hills.

The Mara-Serengeti is a vast tract of land lying astride the Kenya-Tanzania border in Africa. This book celebrates the diversity of life to be found in the Mara-Serengeti: the great predators, the wonders of the migration, the people. It is a book of personal memories and favorite photographs of animals that the authors have followed throughout their lives–the ultimate safari. Jonathan and Angie achieve an intimacy with their subjects that is born of infinite patience and insatiable fascination with the lives of the animals and the people. This book is a tribute to their accomplishments and a lasting record of a land that is truly A Photographer’s Paradise. For wildlife lovers, photography buffs, and those interested in Africa.