WILDLIFE OF THE ARCTIC

Richard Sale & Per Michelsen, Collins, £19.99

If you're heading for Arctic Scandinavia and Russia, or Iceland, Greenland, Canada and Alaska, this compact volume looks ideal – 250 bird species, 60 terrestrial mammals and 30 seals and whales are covered, with more than 800 colour photos. It's hard to complain about the thoroughness of the species accounts, but it has to be said that the text size is small enough that you might have trouble reading it without some magnification, whether that's under the midnight sun or whatever. The photos generally do a good job of illustrating a variety of plumages and postures where the birds are concerned, so you could leave the weightier field guides at home, and comfortably stick this in the pocket of your coat. The relatively short introductory section is excellent, too, looking at the different habitats of the Arctic, why they are as they are, and what that means for you as a wildlifetraveller there. It's in similarly small type, though, so be prepared for a bit of eye strain. If you can deal with that, this is a good all-round guide to the wildlife of one of the world's great wildernesses.