A tribute, not a field guide

This book is an excellent and lavishly illustrated introduction to sea-living mammals: pinnipeds, cetaceans and sea cows. The polar bear and two species of otters are also featured. I hesitate to call this a "field guide", and the authors admit in a foreword that the book is really a tribute to the mammals of the sea: "Few people who read this book will ever encounter Fraser's dolphin, the leopard seal or the African manatee". The main purpose is to give the general reader a certain feel for the sea-mammals, their life and their often threatened status. Martin Camm's colour illustrations are certainly worth the prize of the entire book. Since "Sea Mammals of the World" was published already in 1982, many of the facts presented in the book might be out of date. However, it would still make a nice addition to the library of any nature-lover. Therefore, I give it five stars.