From Publishers Weekly
Nature photographer Dalton (At the Water's Edge) combines high-speed photography, line drawings and text "to explain the basic principles that underlie all forms of winged flight, whether by insect, bird or man." In five abundantly illustrated chapters, Dalton explains the basic principles of aerodynamics, the evolution of flight by insects (the first members of the animal kingdom to take to the air), the adaptations that have permitted birds of all sizes to fly, the history of human flight and the essentials of transonic, supersonic and hypersonic flight. Because each (relatively brief) chapter is responsible for such a broad array of material, his coverage is superficial. Nonetheless, he includes a great deal of intriguing material. From a biological perspective, he reports, for example, that "four-winged insects, such as butterflies, moths, bees and wasps," have evolved anatomical mechanisms to lock their forewings and hindwings together in such a way that they operate in tandem; and we're shown how the albatross can fly "hundreds of miles with scarcely a flap of its 10-foot-long wings." From an engineering perspective, Dalton demonstrates why the Concorde's elaborate fuel delivery system, consisting of 13 interconnected tanks, is the most ingenious portion of the plane. While too technical in parts for the casual reader, this book is sure to engage anyone with even a passing interest in aviationAand the color photos and illustrations of flying machines, both organic (insects, birds, bats) and inorganic (airplanes, gliders, etc.), are magnificent. $50,000 ad campaign. (Oct.) FYI: In October, Firefly will also publish Secret Worlds, a collection, with copious captions, of Dalton's marvelous full-color wildlife photographs. ($35 160p ISBN 1-55209-384-0) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Scientific American
Dalton is a nature photographer who specializes in pictures of animals in motion, and that is mostly what he presents in this portfolio of his work over a span of three decades. The pictures are spectacular, testifying to his skill and patience as a photographer. Dalton first gained his experience of animal motion by photographing bees in flight. Here he shows a great variety of animal movement--by insects, birds, bats, a Mediterranean chameleon and several other creatures. In the accompanying captions he describes the habits of each animal, and in a running text he writes of the photographic techniques he has developed for catching the often elusive creatures as they go about their business.


Bookwatch, November 1999
Dalton has a special knack for capturing animals in motion ... these pages are packed with lively color and provide excellent, dramatic shots.


David Elliott, San Diego Union-Tribune, Nov 28, 1999
Science and poetry are mated seamlessly.


Charles Mandel, The Edmonton Journal, Dec 24, 1999
Without a doubt, Secret Worlds is one of the most remarkable books of photography to come out this year, or in any other ... leaves you marveling at nature's wonders.


Lee Pennock Huntington, Times Argus (Barre, VT), Nov 21, 1999
Superlatives are required in describing these fabulous portrayals of birds and beasts by a great nature photographer. Page after page brings forth gasps of astonishment a the glorious colors, dramatic action, and technical perfection.


Mark Edward Harris, Outdoor Photographer, June 2000
Stephen Dalton has built a career on showing us marvels of action the eye doesn't see.


Book Description
A pioneer of high-speed photography, Stephen Dalton is one of the world's greatest nature photographers. This new compendium comprises more than 125 images taken over the past three decades and celebrates the birds, insects, mammals and countryside that Dalton appreciates as an artist, a scientist and a lover of wildlife. "Secret Worlds" unfolds chronologically to reveal the photographer's evolving creative and technical talents, as the author explores the microcosmic worlds that surround us but are often hidden from the human eye. The concentrated energy of the visual work is offset by the light touch Dalton brings to the accompanying text. Informative and often humorous, he provides accounts of the challenges facing the photographer who is compelled to abide by his subject's schedule rather than his own. But Dalton's greatest gift is in revealing the adaptive genius of some of nature's most familiar creatures. The leopard frog is made heroic when Dalton captures on film the explosive power of its hind legs in midleap. Even the lethargic common toad reveals Herculean talents once it sets its sights on a meal, capturing its prey in an instant with a bulbous tongue that shoots out of its gaping mouth, envelops its victim and withdraws in a flash. Nature lovers everywhere will be enthralled by this wonderful collection. Stephen Dalton is an internationally respected photographer whose high-speed wildlife photography has earned him a devoted following among both nature lovers and photographers. Dalton has published several books of his unforgettable imagery, among them "Secret Lives," "Caught in Motion," "The Secret Life of an Oakwood," "The Secret Life of a Garden," "Vanishing Paradise" and "At the Water's Edge." He lives in rural England, where he continues to revel in and photograph the world around him.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Photography has long played a major role in discovering the secrets of movement in the animal kingdom. For example, speculation as to whether all four feet of a horse in full gallop were ever off the ground simultaneously went unresolved for centuries, until 1878, when Eadweard Muybridge situated a series of cameras, set up to be activated via tripwire, to record a galloping horse and settle the debate once and for all. (The results? There are indeed moments when none of the four hooves are touching the ground).

Photographer Stephen Dalton perpetuates this tradition of using photography to give the viewer a window into nature, drawing near to the very creatures we encounter in our daily lives -- and a number we don't -- to reveal the wonders of their world. If you yearn to see the rapid movements of bats, bugs, and birds broken down into microgestures, you will marvel at the secret worlds revealed in Dalton's eye-opening work.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A pioneer of high-speed photography, Stephen Dalton is one of the world's greatest nature photographers. This new compendium comprises more than 125 images taken over the past three decades and celebrates the birds, insects, mammals and countryside that Dalton appreciates as an artist, a scientist and a lover of wildlife. Secret Worlds unfolds chronologically to reveal the photographer's evolving creative and technical talents, as the author explores the microcosmic worlds that surround us but are often hidden from the human eye. The concentrated energy of the visual work is offset by the light touch Dalton brings to the accompanying text. Informative and often humorous, he provides accounts of the challenges facing the photographer who is compelled to abide by his subject's schedule rather than his own. But Dalton's greatest gift is in revealing the adaptive genius of some of nature's most familiar creatures. The leopard frog is made heroic when Dalton captures on film the explosive power of its hind legs in midleap. Even the lethargic common toad reveals Herculean talents once it sets its sights on a meal, capturing its prey in an instant with a bulbous tongue that shoots out of its gaping mouth, envelops its victim and withdraws in a flash. Nature lovers everywhere will be enthralled by this wonderful collection.Stephen Dalton is an internationally respected photographer whose high-speed wildlife photography has earned him a devoted following among both nature lovers and photographers. Dalton has published several books of his unforgettable imagery, among them Secret Lives, Caught in Motion,The Secret Life of an Oakwood,The Secret Life of a Garden,Vanishing Paradise and At the Water's Edge. He lives in rural England, where he continues to revel in and photograph the world around him.

FROM THE CRITICS

Mark Edward Harris

Stephen Dalton has built a career on showing us marvels of action the eye doesn't see. (Mark Edward Harris, Outdoor Photographer, June 2000)

David Elliott - San Diego Tribune

Science and poetry are mated seamlessly.

William D. Loughman - (William D. Loughman, Science Books & Film, July/August 2000)

What spectacular photographs they are: a frog frozen at the very start of its leap and a bat halted in midflight.

Publishers Weekly

Nature photographer Dalton (At the Water's Edge) combines high-speed photography, line drawings and text "to explain the basic principles that underlie all forms of winged flight, whether by insect, bird or man." In five abundantly illustrated chapters, Dalton explains the basic principles of aerodynamics, the evolution of flight by insects (the first members of the animal kingdom to take to the air), the adaptations that have permitted birds of all sizes to fly, the history of human flight and the essentials of transonic, supersonic and hypersonic flight. Because each (relatively brief) chapter is responsible for such a broad array of material, his coverage is superficial. Nonetheless, he includes a great deal of intriguing material. From a biological perspective, he reports, for example, that "four-winged insects, such as butterflies, moths, bees and wasps," have evolved anatomical mechanisms to lock their forewings and hindwings together in such a way that they operate in tandem; and we're shown how the albatross can fly "hundreds of miles with scarcely a flap of its 10-foot-long wings." From an engineering perspective, Dalton demonstrates why the Concorde's elaborate fuel delivery system, consisting of 13 interconnected tanks, is the most ingenious portion of the plane. While too technical in parts for the casual reader, this book is sure to engage anyone with even a passing interest in aviation--and the color photos and illustrations of flying machines, both organic (insects, birds, bats) and inorganic (airplanes, gliders, etc.), are magnificent. $50,000 ad campaign. (Oct.) FYI: In October, Firefly will also publish Secret Worlds, a collection, with copious captions, of Dalton's marvelous full-color wildlife photographs. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Lee Pennock Huntington - Times Argus