South America Guides and Book Reviews
The following are all books and guides that will help you find out more about South America before you travel and whilst you are there.
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Tierra del Fuego: A Journey to the End of the Earth
By Peter Lourie; hardback, 48 pp
This book is aimed at “young readers”, but can be enjoyed by adults, too. It is a good, straightforward introduction to the region, with an outline of the area’s history, and excellent photos. Lourie writes about visitors and others such as Magellan, whose voyage was the first to circumnavigate the world; Joshua Slocum, the first man to sail around the world on his own; Charles Darwin, who visited on board the Beagle; the Ona and Yamana Indians; and the missionary Thomas Bridges who was the first non-Indian to live in those parts.
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Savage: The Life and Times of Jemmy Button
By Nick Hazlewood, hardback or paper 320 pp
This is the moving tale of one of the Fuegians whom Captain FitzRoy brought back to England in 1830, where he learned English and met the King, and then returned to Tierra del Fuego on board HMS Beagle in 1832. It is a well researched and well written story that is by turns tragic and inspiring. Out of print for some years, it is a rewarding read, and there are plenty of second-hand copies available.
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Insight Guide South America (2007 edition)
Edited by Natalie Minnis; paper, 300 pp.
The whole continent from Caracas to Cape Horn, with all its remarkable scenic attractions, natural history, and turbulent human history packed into one concise volume, with a generous supply of superb colour photographs, in the Insight tradition.
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A Field Guide to the Birds of South America (Non-Passerines)
By Jorge R. Rodriguez Mata, Francisco Erize, and Maurice Rumboll; illustrations by Rodriguez Mata, hardback, 384 pp
Stunning! There is no doubt that this book is a winner. The paintings are lovely, and prove (if proof is needed) that artwork is better than photos for a field guide. This book had a lengthy gestation period, dating from 1970 when the late British naturalist James Fisher suggested to a young Francisco Erize that he should undertake a South American bird guide. And here it is at last, some 35 years later, but for practical reasons covering only some 1,300 non-passerines, or non-perching birds.
It has a useful introductory 34-page section describing the bird families concerned, from Rheas to Woodpeckers. Then come the wonderful paintings themselves, accompanied by simple distribution maps and relatively brief texts that are mainly concerned with identification. All aspects of this book exhibit painstaking attention to detail, and some birders may want to buy two copies, thinking that it’s too beautiful to take into the field. This reviewer met Francisco around the time the idea was first mooted, and has followed its progress spasmodically over the years. It gives me great pleasure to congratulate this trio of Argentine naturalists two friends for producing such a splendid book. It was worth the wait, Francisco!
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Birds of Southern South America & Antarctica
By Martín R. de la Peña & Maurice Rumboll; paper, 304 pp
The only comprehensive single-volume field guide for the continent, and the one to get to identify the passerines, which are not included the book by Erize et al. The text is in English, but local names are given for the six countries covered – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Over 1,000 species are included, with brief details of their habitat, identifying features, voice, and of course a colour illustration of each one. Distribution maps are grouped together at the end.
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South American Handbook 2008 (84th edition)
By Ben Box; paper,1,580 pp.
The first and still the best guidebook for the varied sites and delights of this vibrant continent. Revisions every year ensure accuracy, and all the detail you could wish for accounts for its high page-count. Don’t buy it if you want a book with great illustrations (there aren’t any), but this is the one to get if you seek reliable and interesting information.
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