"With its stunning cover shot of Hyacinth Macaws flying over the Pantanal to its charming hand-drawn maps, this book is one which you will find difficult to put down. Rosemary has surpassed herself with the simple but highly effective layout of the book; each chapter covers a particular South American country or island group, and each country has an insert panel within the chapter, with details of interesting and sometimes little known facts about the area. Each chapter concludes with a list of species mentioned in the text, together with their scientific names. Each chapter is neatly rounded off with an update, providing details of the latest conservation measures being taken in the area, the current status of the birds, if it has changed, and, even in some cases, updates of the characters she met. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs which really bring the book to life; these vary from images of the swamp men in Trinidad to Bolivian market scenes and the tranquillity of the Argentinian lakes; and, of course, a wealth of images of birds and other animals. If I had one criticism it would be that all the photographs are in black and white. In typical Rosemary style, this book is packed with well-written descriptions of wildlife, habitat and the amazing and often humbling characters that she has encountered in her travels. Whether you read it from cover to cover or just dip in to find out more about your next holiday destination, you will not be disappointed.

This book deserves a much wider audience than just the avicultural and natural history market. When you buy a copy, why not buy a second copy and give it to a friend who knows nothing about birds. I guarantee that they will enjoy it and, if it does not awake a dormant naturalist and conservationist in them, I will be truly surprised. -- David Woolcock (Curator, Paradise Park, Cornwall), Avicultural Magazine.