The Life of Mammals

List Price: $79.98
No availability for this item new from Amazon



Compare New & Used Prices From All Available Merchants:

Starring: David Attenborough
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Studio: BBC Warner
Release Date: 2003-05-13
Running Time: 500 minutes
Number of Items: 4
In ten parts, the award-winning David Attenborough (2002 Emmy winner for The Blue Planet: Seas of Life; The Life of Birds) introduces us to the most diverse group of animals ever to live on Earth, from the smallest - the two-inch pygmy shrew, to the largest - the blue whale; from the slowest - the sloth, to the swiftest - the cheetah; from the least attractive - the naked mole rat, to the most irresistible - a human baby. The Life of Mammals is the story of 4,000 species that have outlived the dinosaurs and conquered the farthest places on earth. With bodies kept warm by thick coats of fur and their developing young protected and nourished within their bodies, they have managed to colonize every part of the globe, dry or wet, hot or cold. Their adaptations for finding food have also had a profound effect on the way they move, socialize, mate and breed.

Stunning Photography
This is absolutely the best wildlife photography I've ever seen. It outclasses the iconic National Geographic productions and takes wildlife documentaries to a new level. With hi-tech cameras and an intimate knowledge of the ways of animals, Attenborough captures mammals in situations never before seen. His narration is captivating and his ability to mingle with the animals themselves is uncanny. With this series he proves himself to be the undisputed master of wildlife documentaries.

the life of mammals dvd
bought this last year for my daughter. She loves it and watches it over and over.

Masterpiece
I have watched most of Attenborough's work, and I own several of his series. I love almost everything I have seen. However, even among Attenborough's work, The Life of Mammals stands out.

I have watched every episode in this series about fifteen times each (ok, yes, perhaps I've gone overboard). Even so, I still learn something every time I watch.

This series stands out among the others because it achieves the highest quality in every aspect. Photography is beautiful throughout. The music, when used, is nice and never excessive or obtrusive. The narrative is excellent, providing interesting information without too many words, so the viewer can absorb it easily and keep his attention on the visuals, too. A little harder to explain, but equally important, is the way the series is organized, both at the level of each episode's subject, as well as within each episode. From the opening scene of episode one to the closing scene of the final episode, there's never a break or misstep, just a wonderfully entertaining, informative, and compelling flow from one subject to the next. The final episode brings tears to my eyes.

Beautifully filmed and narrated
This DVD series has been required supplemental viewing for a college course, and I must say that I was a little skeptical at first about spending this much money on supplemental material that was in addition to the required text. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the money was very well spent. Indeed, this is a DVD set that I will watch over and over again.

The Life of Mammals captures some fantastic video footage, with simply amazing cinematography. Some of the shots are absolutely incredible, very accurately depicting the sheer beauty that is our natural world and the beings encapsulated within it.

David Attenborough's narration is at times informative and at other times whimsical and humorous. However, it is never overly serious or dry. Furthermore, there isn't so much information packed into the narration that it's overwhelming. The material supplemented our text quite well. That is not to say, however, that there is nothing to be gained from this DVD set if you are not a biology/mammology student.

The DVD set opens with A Winning Design, which describes monotremes and marsupials, the base of the evolutionary tree as far as mammals are concerned. Insect Hunters, obviously, depicts insectivores such as bats and anteaters. Plant Predators goes on to discuss herbivores such as giraffes and elephants. Chisellers is all about the largest and most abundant mammal group, the rodents. Meat Eaters covers the canids and felids. The Opportunists is a fascinating look at omnivorous animals such as raccoons. Return to the Water covers whales, otters, dolphins, etc. Life in the Trees is a veritable hodge-podge of different mammals groups taking advantage of this unique ecosystem (squirrels, bats, primates). Social Climbers goes into detail on primates. Food for thought links us with our mammalian ancestors.

The Life of Mammals is definitely not your average nature documentary. Animal lovers the world over will fall in love with this DVD set, and perhaps learn something new from it in the process. I look forward to checking out what some of the other BBC/David Attenborough DVD series have to offer.

uh...
It took over a month to receive this item. I never got a notification that it was either on back-order or just plain wasn't sent out, but it was a gift for someone ordered weeks in advance specifically for time delay, but it still was not shipped to me on time, even though i PAID for speedy shipping.
Never again.