Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90477 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-09
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Synopsis
The best stories are the true ones, and there can be few BBC series that have generated as many gripping tales as "Planet Earth". With producers and camera people travelling to every continent and almost every corner of the world, from the highest mountains to the lowest depths, their adventures have been many and unforgettable. Using every kind of craft and technological wizardry imaginable, from helicopters and submersibles, to satellites and remote cameras, they have also witnessed remarkable things. And what makes so much of the series special are the unique aerial perspectives from which they have filmed so many of the animals. This book tells the dramatic tales of their encounters, discoveries and many trials and tribulations. Also revealed are the ingenious means by which some of the unique sequences in the series have been made. Memorable sequences filmed in the wild include wild camels in the snow in the Gobi desert, a giant (truly giant) salamander hunting at night, desert lions capturing an oryx, golden snub-nosed monkeys playing high in the mountains of China, a giant panda in a cave tending her tiny newborn and a snow leopard chasing its prey down a sheer rock face.

Used for the first time in any book are special photographs taken from high-definition film footage, which will bring the tales to life.

Customer Reviews

Limited in scope and awkward to read
At the end of every episode of planet earth there is a ten-minute slot, which focuses on how the shots were taken, and the experiences of the film crew. This book is essentially a companion to that part, although it can easily be read as a stand-alone book.

The book is split into many small chapters, each covering either two or four pages and describing the methods and experiences of shooting a particular scene. It is annoying that these are presented in a seemingly random order, rather than being chronological to the series or grouped into habitats / locations.

The physical layout is awkward to read as the book itself is relatively thin - only 128 pages - and there are many photographs so the text is small and cramped, particularly as a column of the page is reserved for captions. On a more positive note the amount of text itself is good and the chapters themselves are a suitable length.

There are many photographs although many of these are unnecessary and few are spectacular. The most interesting thing in the book is hearing how close the projects come to death and disaster and how genuinely dangerous some of the locations were.

Overall the book is poorly laid out and organised, and although there are occasionally interesting parts, if you've seen the programme documentaries the book adds little. Personally I would not pay the £6.49, preferring to save up for the book that accompanies the series itself rather than just the `making of' parts. Between two and three stars.

Informative
This book is packed with interesting stories and information on how these magnificent programmes were made. I was disappointed that there were no stunning photographs, as it is the images that have made the programme so thrilling. This is very much a behind-the-scenes book. Very enjoyable but it didnt excite me as much as I had hoped.

A visual masterpiece
This amazing guide to the making of the amazing television documentaries provides a feast of images that are beyond belief. The book is a fitting companion to what has been a new insight into our beloved Planet Earth, with a few photos depicting scenes not shown on tv.
If you loved the documentaries then you must buy this book!