Some impressions of the German edition
The "Blick ins Buch" feature shows that the starling has no red head in the German version.........
Got my German language version today, and I wonder how it compares to the English version. That's why I'm reviewing it a bit here. I have the large first edition by Collins, and FG editions in both languages both first and second ones. But I'm trying to restrict my comparison to the first large English and the second German FG editions.
Over all, this is still a very attractive book, but if one has the first large edition, I doubt that getting the second one would be a must. Kosmos Verlag, the German publisher has definitely cut some corners with this second edition. For one, it comes with a paper cover instead of the fabric of the first edition. And this paper does not instill any confidence in its durability. Second, the paper used in the book is more matted and less white than the large English edition and the small German one. (Always as said at the onset, comparing my new volume with the large Collins and the small German FG, the latter published by Kosmos.) Again, it is my impression that this is a cheaper version paper.
The printing looks less crisp than in the first edition. An example: comparing the standing adult White-tailed Eagle, it looks in the first edition as if it had been photographed with a HD lens, whereas the second edition shows the same bird more like photographed through a non-HD lens.
I recall that subsequent editions of the old European Peterson FG lost more and more nuances in the illustrations, and the over all impression was that the plates kept getting darker. This same impression is coming up here in some cases, though it may only be obvious in a direct comparison. Also, some plates look more washed out, not darker. But there are also cases where illustrations benefit from this. Thus the summer Black Guillemot now appears more differentiated.
It had been reported of the English edition, that there were some printing inadequacies. Well, here the Starling's head is just fine. But the book seems to have somewhat of a problem with greys. This is particularly apparent on some of the gull plates. The first-winter Slender-billed Gull (P. 181) has some grey protruding from its neck. It looks like the first edition had a slight problem there as well, but it was either retouched or it does not irritate because it's so faint. Same problem on the juvenile Slender-billed individual, here on the belly, just behind the legs. Then, I first thought that the lacking pink on the underparts of the breeding adult Slender-billed Gull had now been corrected. But virtually the same color (or shade of grey) is now "gracing" most gulls on that plate. And at least two birds (adult Slender-billed and 1st winter Bonaparte's gull have a grey rim around their dark bill. Of course, these inadequacies show much more in the large edition, whereas they are hardly noticeable in the FG.
The larger range maps are definitely a step forward. I also like the presentation up front of the authors/artists.
