Kenya - a Natural History

Kenya is undoubtedly the most biodiverse country in Africa, with more species of birds and mammals than any other. Until now, while it has been well served by field guides – including two modern bird guides, a superb butterfly volume, excellent books on the reptiles and amphibians of East Africa and numerous mammal guides covering most of Africa – there hasn't been anything covering Kenya's natural history as a whole.

This title provides a detailed account of this wonderful country and includes 13 chapters covering geology, fossils and hominins, peopling, landscape, climate and weather, vegetation, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, the marine environment and conservation. Each chapter is written as a standalone account of the subject covered, so the reader can pick and choose the topics of most interest. The sections include a general overview of the subject, before dealing in more detail with the Kenyan aspects.

It is written rather in the fashion of a text book and is indeed partly aimed at students; the senior author is a university lecturer. However, it is not overly technical, and scientific terms or those likely to be less familiar to the general reader are always explained clearly when first introduced. Essentially, it is an easy read full of fascinating facts, and I was impressed to note that the bird content at least is right up to date in terms of facts, taxonomy and so on.

The book is illustrated by a wealth of superb colour photographs, many of which are taken by Stephen Spawls himself, and include many of the excellent bird shots. The book is printed on good-quality photographic paper and as a consequence is quite heavy, so is not really a volume to take into the field, or even on a safari for reading in the tent or lodge at night. But for those visiting Kenya it would certainly be an excellent book to read beforehand in preparation for the trip, and there is also much to learn here for those already familiar with the country from past visits. The authors have filled a vacant niche very well indeed.