Dragonfly ID guide

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

Only £14.42 at Amazon with free postage, I got mine very quickly after buying but you had best be quick as they only have 6 left in stock..

Britain's Dragonflies: A Comprehensive Photographic Guide to All 57 Species of Britain and Ireland Britains Wildlife: Amazon.co.uk: Dave Smallshire, Andy Swash: Books

It is a good book, photos are a bit small because the book is compact but it's quite comprehensive and the comparison charts are good. The pages are a good quality gloss, the cover has a plastic cover to keep it from getting wet.

Janet

....I prefer to support my local private bookshop than shop around the hyperinterwebbynet. I visited this morning and they had Richard Lewington's book in stock and I was very mightily impressed - His illustrations are absolutely stunning but furthermore there was a lot of other useful guide and ID info. They're going to reserve the Lewington book for me and get in the Smallshire & Swash book for me to look at without obligation. I'll definitely buy one of the two books and possibly both.

In due course I'll post my thoughts on comparisons between the two guide books.

Does WAB have a Reviews section?

[Red Robin]

Hey (htc)dude,

Thanks for starting this thread question - The result is that I'm buying an excellent guide which I need (though it could be guides!) . I've been thinking I would value such a guide book ever since Damsels and Dragons started homing in on my small wildlife pond this year. Cheers

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

....I prefer to support my local private bookshop than shop around the hyperinterwebbynet. I visited this morning and they had Richard Lewington's book in stock and I was very mightily impressed - His illustrations are absolutely stunning but furthermore there was a lot of other useful guide and ID info. They're going to reserve the Lewington book for me and get in the Smallshire & Swash book for me to look at without obligation. I'll definitely buy one of the two books and possibly both.

In due course I'll post my thoughts on comparisons between the two guide books.

Does WAB have a Reviews section?

That's very noble of you! If I had a local private bookshop, and one which happened to have the book, and one which also had a reasonable price I might have done the same if I were able to go the distance at the high cost of fuel and think I could spend the extra few pounds which to me will go to another book I might want....

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

That's very noble of you! If I had a local private bookshop, and one which happened to have the book, and one which also had a reasonable price I might have done the same if I were able to go the distance at the high cost of fuel and think I could spend the extra few pounds which to me will go to another book I might want....

....When I say "private" bookshop I mean one which isn't a big chain corporation. I live within walking distance of town so my beloved petrol guzzler stays in her batcave garage and gets her exercise on longer journeys - Better for an engine anyway.

[htcdude]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

Hey (htc)dude,

Thanks for starting this thread question - The result is that I'm buying an excellent guide which I need (though it could be guides!) . I've been thinking I would value such a guide book ever since Damsels and Dragons started homing in on my small wildlife pond this year. Cheers

No problem! Thanks for your research and info

I'm going to look today, the only shops round here though are all chain bookshops, like Books Etc etc..

Hopefully I'll find something!

Nige

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by htcdude

I'm going to look today, the only shops round here though are all chain bookshops, like Books Etc etc..

Hopefully I'll find something!

....I warn you that if you come across both you won't know which to buy! Subject to actually perusing the book itself I think I'm going to favour the Smallshire & Swash guide because photographs (if good) make ID easier, but it'll be a very close run thing.

I can't wait for that phonecall from my local bookshop!

[htcdude]

I think I prefer photos myself so I will opt for the Smallshire one. However if that's not available and the other one is, I'll get that

Nige

[Red Robin]

I've now bought both guide books!

I'll post my thoughts on comparison between them plus a couple of sample page pics in the next day or two. I've already used them

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

I've now bought both guide books!

A good choice - it's always useful to have more than one source of reference, and you will probably find that each is more useful at different times.

It will be interesting to see what you make of the two different books.

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by RoyW

A good choice - it's always useful to have more than one source of reference, and you will probably find that each is more useful at different times.

It will be interesting to see what you make of the two different books.

....Two field guides on Britain's Dragonflies and Damselflies: One by Richard Lewington and the other by Dave Smallshire & Andy Swash, both at very similar price at around £18 depending where you buy.

Lewington is quite rightly famous for his wildlife illustrations which can only be described as exquisite and very accurate. Smallshire&Swash have focussed on producing a field guide using photography.

As a relative newbe to the world of dragonflies and damselflies, choosing which book was quite difficult. Although they cover the same subject matter, including what I think are important chapters on the larvae or nymphs, the two books are quite different in their presentation. The Smallshire&Swash has been designed and laid out very consciously as a field guide - One which you would literally pack on a field trip. The sequence of chapters and rigid format of one page spread per species with concise notes makes it very functional as a guide in which a species can be quickly found. It doesn't lack in information though. The publishers have very thoughtfully included a clear plastic protective cover with a pocket but I don't know how long it will last actually in the field as they tend to get brittle and then tear easily. Also a 0-100mm ruler is printed on the edge of the back cover but surely that is only useful if you have either a captured specimen or a dead one. Personally I'm against interfering with living wild creatures whether in the name of science or not, but that's just me.

As a true field guide it's very good indeed but I have a couple of criticisms: Although the photography is sharp the print reproduction lacks contrast on many pages and backgrounds too often interfere - However, it is still functional. My second criticism is that some of the print on the page disappears into the binding and the book will not lay flat - Whenever I have designed books or brochures I have always taken the method of binding into account.

The Lewington book in comparison doesn't work so well as a guide you would take with you on a trip and refer to alongside a body of water. However, it is more comprehensive in its texts than the Smallshire&Swash guide and ironically what photographs it has are superior, being of a higher standard. It goes without saying that the illustrations are second to none and it is a medium very useful for showing detail which would be very specialist to photograph.

Although produced independently, the two books compliment each other and so I ended up buying both! In actual practice I am finding it useful to be able to confirm (or not) an ID I make in one book by then also referring to the other - You're not wrong, Roy!

Sample pages of Smallshire&Swash, ISBN 978-1-903657-29-4:





Sample pages of Lewington, ISBN 978-0-9531399-0-3: