Whereas I loved Jerry Liguori’s book (reviewed above), which was written by someone knowledgeable and passionate about hawks, with something valuable to say, I find the present work has little to recommend it beyond an attractive cover painting. It is a condensed “field guide” version of the monumental book by the same title (and authors) published in 2001. Like so many books in this genre, however, the original Raptors of the World should have omitted New World species, with which the authors and artists lack familiarity. This condensed edition recognizes 338 species, an increase of 25 (one newly described, 24 split) over the 2001 edition, but is this National Geographic approach to publishing any justification for killing thousands of trees? Only the most myopic of birdwatchers will take on their travels a field guide limited to raptors, and regional field guides covering all species now exist for most parts of the world. Beyond being flawed in concept, the content and illustrations are weak at best when it comes to the New World, so this book is unlikely to help with identifications as challenging as those in the genera Buteogallus or Accipiter.