Nature's Stronghold: The World's Great Wildlife Reserves

  • Laura &
  • William Riley
Princeton University Press, $49.50, £32.50 0691122199 | ISBN: 0-691-12219-9

Whether you are planning an exotic vacation or looking for a location for your next field trip, two recently published books should provide some ideas.

Nature's Stronghold: The World's Great Wildlife Reserves by Laura and William Riley (Princeton University Press, $49. 50, £32.50) is a compendium of more than 600 of the world's wildlife reserves.

The book features reserves from 80 countries, giving details of such well known ones as America's Yellowstone National Park and Tanzania's Serengeti reserve, as well as lesser known specialist reserves such as Russia's Shulgan-Tash Zapovednik, which was set up to protect the last wild Burzyan honeybees in Russia. Vu Quang reserve in Vietnam is home to the Vu Quang ox — the first new mammal species reported for 50 years. The European bison was once nearly hunted to extinction but a remnant herd, originally protected by Hitler's deputy Hermann Göring, now inhabits Poland's Bialowieza National Park and a transborder reserve in Belarus. And the endangered jaguar (see picture) finds safe haven at the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Sanctuary in Belize.

This illustrated book gives details of what to see and when to visit for each of the reserves featured, making it an interesting read whether you are planning a trip or are just an armchair traveller.

The Volcano Adventure Guide

  • Rosaly Lopes
Cambridge University Press, £30, $50 0521554535 | ISBN: 0-521-55453-5

More intrepid travellers might find The Volcano Adventure Guide (Cambridge University Press, £30, $50) more exciting. Rosaly Lopes' book gives advice on planning a visit to an active volcano, and has detailed guides to 42 of the world's most spectacular examples.

With chapters on the types of eruption as well as safety and survival rules, this is another book that should interest those staying at home as well as amateur and professional volcanologists alike.

M.P.