Valmik Thapar, a leading conservationist, has been associated with Ranthambhore National Park, the world's most prominent tiger reserve, in Rajastham, northern India, for nearly thirty years. Thapar is the author of numerous books on tigers, most recently Saving Wild Tigers (2003), Cult of the Tiger (2002), and Land of the Tiger (1997), which accompanied a major BBC-TV series of the same name. He is currently a member of the Central Empowered Committee, which was constituted by the Supreme Court of India to monitor forests and wildlife. He lives in New Delhi.

Expert contributors include wildlife biologists, zoologists, tiger researchers, artists, poets, historians, and conservationists.

Producer Jake Eberts, whose feature production credits include Ghandi, Dances with Wolves, Driving Miss Daisy, A River Runs Through It, and Open Range, is co-publisher of TIGER: The Ultimate Guide. His most recent films are Two Brothers, a Universal release, and an accompanying Animal Planet documentary, The Ultimate Guide to Tigers. This book serves as a unique companion to these two films.

Ever since man first set eyes on the tiger, it has captivated people the world over. With its exceptional photography and insightful text, TIGER: The Ultimate Guide is a fitting tribute to this fascinating creature. An indispensible resource for animal lovers and conservationists alike, this book offers the most complete account to date of the natural and cultural history of the tiger - from its evolution and behavior to its symbolic importance in myth and ritual. Anecdotal and statistical information concerning the tiger's continued exploitation and struggle for survival, past and present, illuminate and inform a discussion of current preservation efforts. Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 images, TIGER: The Ultimate Guide features an unsurpassed collection of photographs of tigers in the wild, many never before published, that showcase the work of some of the world's finest photographers. Also included are superb examples of tiger-inspired art through the centuries - from ancient mosaics and Indian paintings to the work of European artists suchs as Delacroix, Bugatti, Stubbs, Rousseau, and Dali. The extraordinary array of illustrations presented in this distinctive volume has been drawn from archives, private collections, and museums around the world. A passionate first-person narrative by Valmik Thapar who has spent most of the last thirty years observing tigers in the wild and fighting to ensure their survival, is supplemented by the latest scientific findings and essays by twenty of the world's most renowned experts. This stunning book explores every aspect of one of nature's most majestic animals, making TIGER: The Ultimate Guide as authoritative as it is beautiful.