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HPH Publishing

Vanishing Kings - Standard Edition

Vanishing Kings - Standard Edition

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VANISHING KINGS

SIZE: 280mm x 210mm

PAGES: 360

ISBN: 9780994692467

"I regard this book as one of the best ever produced on the lion and it deserves a place in the library of every serious wild cat / wildlife enthusiast." J Weir. 

Vanishing Kings, Lions of the Namib Desert is a unique record of an elusive predator in an unusual environment. It uncovers the secret lives of a small population of desert-adapted lions which occurs only in the oldest desert on our planet, the Namib. A first-ever, this extraordinary book about Desert lions celebrates the highly adaptive nature of one of our planet's most iconic predators which continues to battle for survival in today's world.

 

ABOUT VANISHING KINGS

The Namib is the only place on Earth where a small population of desert-adapted lions occurs. Remarkably, these unique lions have survived along the Namib’s Skeleton Coast for decades, but until 20 years ago they were merely phantoms’ elusive and seldom seen, and then believed to have become extinct. 

In 1997, scientist Dr Philip Stander discovered a small pride of survivors in the heart of the desert and began to study the lions: a study which turned into a lifelong commitment. Through the years he was able to unfold the secrets surrounding these highly adaptive big cats who appeared to thrive in their harsh environment. 

Having followed multiple generations of Desert lions from birth to adulthood, Stander takes the reader into their fascinating world, one that would otherwise have remained largely unknown. Through his intimate accounts of several male Desert lions' life stories, we come to understand how these rare lions survive in the relentless Namib Desert.

Illustrated with over 300 astonishing images of Desert lions and other desert-adapted animals that survive in the Namib, this book is an account of one of the most remarkable research projects ever undertaken.

"If you are interested in wild cats and lions in particular this is the book for you. The text is scholarly but highly readable by the average enthusiast. Basically it outlines the outstanding work done by Dr Philip Stander over many years in the Namib Desert in Namibia to conserve and document a very special and rare population of lions who made this hostile environment their home with some degree of success. Unfortunately the unnecessary demise of 'The Five Musketeers' who were possibly the future for the long term survival of desert adapted lions is recorded which brings a very sad end to a fascinating journey. The photography in the book is wonderful, numerous lion images of the highest quality adorn just about every page. I particularly like the way the text follows a journey from the beginning of 'The Desert Lion Project' to the present day and apart from a very well written narrative includes detailed field notes, very well presented statistics and meaningful charts and maps. I regard this book as one of the best ever produced on the lion and it deserves a place in the library of every serious wild cat / wildlife enthusiast. The book also highlights the other desert adapted mammals that call this region home. It is in many respects a coffee table book, but contains a wealth of factual information, I feel it also represents excellent value for money and presumably also contributes to the long term aims of the project. The author remains in my opinion one of the most influential field zoologists to ever work with cats." J Weir 

Author Biographies   

Philip Stander has over 30 years' experience in the field of wildlife management and research, the last two decades of which he has spent focusing exclusively on the desert-adapted lions of Namibia. He obtained his PhD from Cambridge University in 1995 for which he received the Thomas Henry Huxley Award from the Zoological Society of London. 

Will and Lianne Steenkamp have been in the wildlife film industry for well over a decade. They specialise in behavioural-driven wildlife films, which keeps them in remote wilderness areas for years on end. Their films have won numerous awards and nominations, including an Emmy nomination for Vanishing Kings - Lions of the Namib. In 2002, Will completed a national diploma in Nature Conservation at the Technical University of Tshwane and, in 2008, a master’s degree in Environmental Management at the University of the Free State. In 2004, Lianne completed a bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Media at the University of the Arts Utrecht in the Netherlands.

 

 

Text by Philip Stander and Lianne Steenkamp 

 

Photography by Philip Stander and Will Steenkamp

 

 

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Customer Reviews

Based on 34 reviews
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D
Duncan Napier
Vanishing Kings

This book is a must read. So many years of passion, patience and dedication have gone into this publication. It is astouding to read how these lions have adapted to the harsh, unforgiving environment. Such a pity about the human / lion conflict hotspots but I suppose inevitable. Well done for the action plans to ensure the survival of these magnificent beasts.
Namibia is stunning for landscape photography. The pics in this book take landscape photography to the next level. Hats off to Philip Stander for his scientific data collection, the fascinating read and for the beautiful images. With acknowledgement to Will and Leanne Steenkamp for their contribution too.

J
Jess Tyrrell
Vanishing Kings

It was a birthday gift for my father, who has instilled the greatest love for the desert and specifically Namibia in me. He sent a message saying "this is one of the most fabulous books I've ever had the privilege to come across".
This is superb work and a great thank you to all involved for supporting this vital research and project, and thank you to Philip Stander for dedicating his life to this work and the lions of the desert.

H
Hendrik Odendaal
Vanishing Kings

Excellent publication

P
Peter Dreyer
May the Kings live forever

It is all that was promised and much, much more. This book will be picked up and read and paged through many times by myself, my family and also visitors. It is a gem.

p
paul crosland
Vanishing Kings

Brilliant, sold on the photos especially the habitat images of lions and brown hyena in a desert landscape

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