The Journey Within

This book represents one photographer's effort to share his personal perspective of Africa's wildlife heritage. Drawing on his vast collection of photographs from hundreds of safaris in Eastern Africa over the past five decades, Dinesh Patel has successfully made the African safari universally accessible.

What distinguishes the book from the myriad others are two striking features. First, is its simplicity and purity-the wildlife photography in the book is uncomplicated and pure, capturing snapshots of the wild as it is intended to be, devoid of human factors. Second, building on this simplicity, unfettered with commentary, the photographer has successfully created a world that gives the reader an experience of being there, accompanying the photographer as he moves on his journey.

Whether these photographs are viewed with awe or admired for their majesty, they convey an important message. The African wilderness is in rapid retreat. Too many of the creatures exhibited here are on the lamentable list of endangered species and face a bleak future. So the challenge ahead is serious and the task difficult but essential. Africa needs a future that befits its unique place in the grandeur of nature. By nurturing these natural jewels and by playing to its strengths-its unique and spectacular wild legacy-Africa must become prosperous by preserving its heritage. It is the essential duty of the wildlife photographer to spread this message by conveying the spectacle and magnificence of Africa's wild wonders. Dinesh Patel has accomplished this task with distinction.