Five years ago, whilst travelling across desert, mountain and jungle researching another book, artist Harry Holcroft was horror struck when he saw firsthand the appalling devastation of the
rainforests. Haunted by this image, he determined to capture in vivid paintings, the light and spirit, the very 'essence', of these dwindling forests.
Harry visited many of the tropical equatorial rainforests of the world in his quest and, with the typical observational powers of an artist, he noticed considerable variation between the
colouring of the forests on the different continents. His stunning watercolours and sketches bring these remote regions to life on the page. Alongside his captivating pictures, Harry's diary
entries from his travels share with us his thoughts and observations.
To complement Harry Holcroft's artistic presentation, Professor Sir Ghillean Prance's illuminating essay gives the reader a scientific insight into the varying physiognomies of the great
rainforests of Africa, Asia and the Americas.
As well as describing the vegetation and some of the striking plants and animals to be found in these forests, he also discusses some of the reasons why, although there are striking
similarities between different areas, the rainforest is not a single uniform type of vegetation. Most pertinent, perhaps, are Ghillean Prance's explanations of the negative impact that modern
life is having on the rainforests around the world. He stresses the vital importance of the world's rainforests as both a source of biodiversity and for their role in stabilising the
climate.
This book allows us a spectacular view of the rainforests of the world, through the eyes of both the scientist and the artist, showing us the colour, the diversity of the greens and blues of
the vegetation, and, above all, the light and spirit of the world's most important resource.
