Britain’s Dragonflies
By Dave Smallshire & Andy Swash – (2004)
168 pages; gloss art paper, with 368 colour photographs accompanied by 22 charts/tables of hundreds of colour & monochrome illustrations.
Hard Cover: 21.6cm x 15.2cm
ISBN: 1-903657-04-0
Wild Guides Ltd. Hampshire, UK.
This is quite an interesting book that has combined both the use of modern computer technology for the clever manipulation of visual/photographic aesthetics with scientifically sound yet simply offered text.
It covers the 57 species that have been recorded from the UK as well as 10 potential vagrants.
After the opening pages (which include very useful notes under the subheadings of “identification”, “colour forms and aberrations”) of the book there is a photographic index to the genera within. This is followed by a series of very useful charts packed with coloured illustrations of the identifying features of each species to assist identification. In conjunction with the individual species accounts which follow the coloured charts, should certainly assist if not ensure identification.
Each species has its common name, scientific name, adult identification, egg and larva descriptions, behavior, breeding habitat, population, conservation, where to find and observation tips. It is in this section of the book where the species are illustrated with few to many (several with 8) photos showing living male, female, juveniles and different colour forms arranged in seemingly quite natural settings with the assistance of computer software. Distribution of the species is illustrated with a colour shaded map of Ireland and greater Britain accompanied by notes in the text which are limited predominantly to the distribution within Ireland and Britain. The book closes with photographs, technical illustrations and text notes for the identification of the breeding species larvae and exuviae.
For anyone with an interest in the odonates of Europe and Britain, this is a good book and very well illustrated demonstrating the clever use of computer technology. The sound text is offered simply so anyone can understand it helping to encourage the ever growing (& deservedly so) odonate fan club within the general public. While this book is designed as a guide for Britain and Ireland – aesthetically it is an inspiring book and any odonate fan should enjoy reading it, if not for the text then at least for the clever use of the many very nice photos.
Rod Rice
Principal Reviewer
Nature & Travel Books