The Secrets of Animal Flight (by Nic Bishop)

The author includes lots of fascinating information about flying. But what makes this book a standout is the extraordinary photography. According to the jacket copy, Nic Bishop has developed a high-speed technique for photographing insects on the wing, which has put him in the forefront of insect photography internationally.

The results are incredible close-ups of stunning, jewel-like clarity, in which even the veins of a flying dragonfly's wings are perfectly clear. This technique allows the author to show all the stages of a bird's upstroke and down stroke, with every feather standing out as vividly as a Japanese paper fan. This lovely, fascinating book encourages and rewards close inspection by revealing what the naked eye can never see.