Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 18 - Tapa dura

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 18 is undoubtedly the most outstanding new collection of nature photographs available. The book showcases more than 120 stunning images from the 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition - the most prestigious event of its kind. All the winning and commended photographs are here, selected by an international panel of expert judges and beautifully reproduced in this portfolio.

Choosing the winning entries from an incredible 35,000 entries submitted by photographers around the world is not easy. Each year the new collection is eagerly awaited by nature lovers and photography buffs alike - and each year they are not disappointed, as the quality of the images and the ingenuity of photographers reach new heights of excellence.

The range of subjects and styles is diverse - from abstract nature images to animal behaviour and portraits to environmental reportage. Together they celebrate the splendour, drama and variety of life on Earth. Each photograph is accompanied by a memorable caption that tells the story of how and why the shot was taken.

Being placed in this competition is something that wildlife photographers the world over aspire to. To succeed, they need a mixture of vision, technical ability, knowledge of nature - and luck. All these elements are here in abundance in these inspirational photographs that bring the breathtaking beauty of the natural world to your coffee table.

Rosamund Kidman Cox edited BBCWildlife Magazine for more than two decades and isthe coeditor of Planet Earth: The Future."