Lynch has been traveling to the top of the world for 30 years, and his new collection of stellar photographs displays his improbable intimacy with what seems to be a forbidding place. For Lynch, the Arctic is a mystical land jeweled by life, from flowering mosses and lichens to exquisite birds and magnificent animals perfectly adapted to cold and ice. Lynch's colorful up-close portraits of red-throated loons, musk oxen, caribous, arctic grizzlies, polar bears, ptarmigans, owls, foxes, ermine, and walruses are breathtaking in their detail and startling in their warmth. Lynch offers a clue to this intensity, admitting that he is patient as a scientist but "stubbornly patient" as a photographer, no easy feat in this frigid realm. Lynch's engaging commentary blends personal anecdotes about his polar adventures with crisp scientific facts, and he barely alludes to the impact of global warming. Instead, Lynch hopes that readers will share his profound appreciation for the wonders and beauty of the living Arctic.
- Donna Seaman Booklist 2010 12 01
Science writer and wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch has been travelling to the Arctic for more than 30 years, has 50 books to his name and is one of the most-published nature photographers in Canada. It's no surprise, then, that his intimate photographic compilation of Arctic wildlife, Planet Arctic, is as diverse as it is stunning. Lynch captures images of dozens of adorable creatures (and the very grotesque walrus), displaying their most idiosyncratic behaviour -- a beluga rubbing itself on gravel to hasten its moulting process, powerful muskox standing shoulder to shoulder to fight an enemy. Complete with Lynch's authoritative text tidbits about the animals, Planet Arctic is a great pick for any wildlife enthusiast who wants to get up close and personal with the Arctic's furry, feathered and aquatic residents.
- Mindy Savoie Canadian Geographic 2010 12
(reviewed with The World of the Polar Bear) For those of us who are armchair travellers, two gorgeous books of photography make an acceptable substitute. Planet Arctic: Life at the Top of the World by renowned wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch, is my favourite of the two, as it captures glimpses of many aspects of this region of the world, from delicate lichens to the caribou that feed on them, from brooding landscapes to portraits of waterfowl and land mammals.
- Jodi DeLong Halifax Chronicle Herald 2010 12 12
Pods of beluga whales, ice bergs glowing in yellow light or haloed in pink and mauve, and a host of stunning bird photographs: There is too much here to name, but all of it serves to tell us what an amazing and vulnerable place is our Arctic. Look and learn.
- Bill Robertson Halifax Star Phoenix 2010 12 18
With these dazzlingly hued color photographs, Lynch takes us north to the far reaches of the Arctic and reveals a rich landscape teeming with life. He offers intimate portrayals of arctic creatures--gamboling polar bear cubs, reindeer, loons, hares--capturing the vast splendor of one of the planet's last undisturbed places. Whether revealing an arctic fox on the hunt or the budding of mountain avens, Lynch's nature photos renew our sense of wonder at the majesty of the natural world with vivid, vital images that all but evoke the chill of arctic air.... These photographs and the author's sharp commentary and anecdotes provide an awe-inspiring glimpse into a wild world most of us will likely never know, an endangered world, Lynch warns in the book's final words, whose ultimate fate lies in our hands.
- Publishers Weekly 2010 11 22
Science writer and wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch has been travelling to the Arctic for more than 30 years, has 50 books to his name and is one of the most-published nature photographers in Canada. It's no surprise, then, that his intimate photographic compilation of Arctic wildlife, Planet Arctic, is as diverse as it is stunning. Lynch captures images of dozens of adorable creatures (and the very grotesque walrus), displaying their most idiosyncratic behaviour -- a beluga rubbing itself on gravel to hasten its moulting process, powerful muskox standing shoulder to shoulder to fight an enemy. Complete with Lynch's authoritative text tidbits about the animals, Planet Arctic is a great pick for any wildlife enthusiast who wants to get up close and personal with the Arctic's furry, feathered and aquatic residents.
- Mandy Savoie Canadian Geographic 2010 12
Lynch once again stuns us with his work. A widely published wildlife photographer, he has authored 12 natural history books. Focusing on the Arctic, the truly amazing images here capture the beauty of this stark terrain, its animals, and its plants. From the majestic polar bear and almost-ugly walrus to playful fox kits and delicately beautiful mosses, we are treated to images of a landscape few will ever experience. Lynch has spent 30 years exploring and photographing this vast region, and it shows in his understanding of the area. The photos are enhanced by text explaining the natural history associated with each subject, further drawing in the reader. Some will consider this a coffee-table book; others, a light natural history of the Arctic. Both are right. Recommended for readers interested in the Arctic and in beautiful photography, it will be especially valuable in public, school, and university libraries.
- Betty Galbraith Library Journal 2011 01
For most of the year, the Arctic is a cold and forbidding place that is covered in ice and snow. Yet, each spring, it becomes a land of beauty, filled with diverse wildlife, flora and fauna. For more than 30 years Wayne Lynch has worked in the Arctic as a nature and wildlife photographer, exploring and photographing the distinct animals found in this northern region. He also shares his vast knowledge about the complex Arctic landscape and its natural dynamics through introductory essays and personal anecdotes. A captivating and intelligent book, Planet Arctic: Life at the Top of the World shares with the reader the many wonders of the Canadian North. Wayne Lynch is an award-winning author of 12 natural history books and nearly 40 books for children and young adults. He is also a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America and a Fellow of the internationally recognized Explorers Club.
- Ashleigh Bond Photo Life (Quebec) 2011 03 31
