The Year of the Tiger Author:Michael Nichols, Geoffrey Ward Sleek, stealthy, powerful, and beautiful, the tiger has always evoked awe, fear, and utter fascination. Once undisputed lord of vast stretches of Asia, India, and Indonesia, the tiger now stalks a sadly diminished realm, despite the best efforts of dedicated conservationists all over the world. Some strains are extinct; all are threatened. But, ... more »as this dramatic volume demonstrates, the species has lost none of its mesmerizing appeal. Glorying in more than 100 stunning full-color photographs, The Year of the Tiger combines the talents of two gifted, knowledgeable men: National Geographic veteran Michael "Nick" Nichols, who has been described as the Indiana Jones of photography, and writer Geoffrey Ward, a tiger admirer ever since his youth in India. Together, they have created an engrossing, unforgettable portrait of this magnificent creature, featuring many images of tigers in the wild never before captured on film. Here are arresting visions from Southeast Asia and Siberia, along with remarkable and unprecedented photographs that reveal the hidden life of an Indian tigress, named Sita, and her cubs. Over a period of two years, Nichols visited the tigers, documenting Sita's unflagging efforts to feed and safeguard her young. To obtain his extraordinary shots, Nichols tracked the tigers on elephant-back through rough terrain and more than once risked his life to bring back a unique record of their lives. Here too is a gallery of tigers in captivity, heartbreaking in its juxtaposition with their wild brethren. For whether they're entertaining Las Vegas crowds or living in the relative security of a first-rate zoo, these are animals who have lost -- or never learned -- the skills that would allow them to survive in the wild. And yet they too have inherited all the majesty and wonder that mark their breed -- and may perhaps be the last, best hope for the most endangered of today's great cats. Stunning in its visual appeal, sobering in its message, The Year of the Tiger is at once a vivid celebration and a vital call to arms on behalf of a creature whose very existence is menaced by mankind's encroachment on its delicately-balanced environment. It's a book for anyone who cares about preserving our world's astonishing diversity, and for anyone who's fallen under the tiger's spell -- and that, it's safe to say, is everyone.« less