Large Book in Dust Jacket spine a little faded, First Edition 2008, end papers, frontispiece, Colour Photographs, illustrations, maps, 240 Pages, Published By Bateman Auckland. A Near Fine Copy. New Zealand authors. 'The Albatross is a creature of legend, of poetry and of dreams. it is the ultimate nomad, whose sailplane wings- the longest of any living bird- harness the shrieking winds of the oceans as it glides around the globe. This master of wind and wave is also the subject of intense scientific scrutinty and fascinating revelations. It may live as long as we do, and often mates for life. It commutes with unerring accuracy over thousands of miles of trackless ocean and, with the advent of DNA fingerprinting, we are discovering that there may not be just 13 albatross species but between 21 and 25 distinct types, living from the fringes of Antarctica to the icy North pacific. But just as we discover the magic of this glorious bird, so its star is falling. Today, over three-quarters of all albatross species are edging towards extinction. This book features over 400 photographs from world-renowned wildlife photographer and author Tui De Roy in a breathtaking celebration of these amazing creatures, as well as a personal narrative text, a series of essays by leading experts from around the world on the most up-to-date albatross research, and a factual natural history section with detailed information on each species, including range maps, population estimates, behaviour and distribution'