Unexplored Spain

About this book

Unexplored Spain is a richly illustrated natural‑history and travel work that blends description, hunting lore, and cultural observation of the Iberian Peninsula. The volume opens with a meticulous bibliographic note, then a preface in which authors Abel Chapman and Walter J. Buck explain their renewed ambition after the success of Wild Spain. They stress the two‑decade span of field notes, the assistance of Spanish contacts, and a deliberate effort to avoid the sensationalism they accuse contemporary “nature‑fakers” of indulging in. The preface also contains a detailed critique of photography’s limits for portraying wildlife, setting the tone for a measured, data‑driven exploration of the country’s fauna, from ibex and red deer to wildfowl and the occasional camel in the marshes.

The prose reflects an early‑20th‑century British perspective, marked by formal diction, earnest admiration for the landscape, and a hint of imperial confidence. Its style is dense, scholarly yet vivid, interspersed with personal anecdotes and extensive illustration credits. Readers who relish exhaustive field studies, historic hunting accounts, or a period‑specific view of Spain’s natural world, particularly those interested in ornithology, wildlife photography debates, or the cultural context of Edwardian travel literature, will find this work both informative and evocative.