Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Ornithologist Thalmann supplements the sumptuous work of bird illustrator Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) with useful ornithological data, thus showcasing the work of a master illustrator while providing a useful reference. He selected from the various common names given to each bird in French, English, German, Italian, and Spanish, the version used and accepted by contemporary ornithologists, retaining reference to the correct scientific-taxonomic name. Distribution of each species is shown on maps showing the breeding and wintering zones for each country in which the bird has been observed. Distributed by Sterling. 10x12.5" Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

"Atlas" seems misapplied to this work, as its primary feature is the 80 full-page color plates of Thorburn's bird paintings; the accompanying range maps are no larger nor more detailed than those in any standard field guide. Thorburn (1860-1935) is generally considered to be a scientific illustrator, not an original artist; his work is biologically accurate and technically skillful but only occasionally reaches the level of true artistic inspiration (most often in his depiction of gamebirds). The text is limited to a brief introduction and captions giving little more than the birds' names (in six languages). Well printed and reasonable in price, this will be a useful sample of Thorburn's work for larger bird art collections.-Paul B. Cors, Univ. of Wyoming Lib., Laramie (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.