Waterfalls of the World

Reviewed by Dean Goss

This small hardcover book's title shows ambition far beyond the ability to be successfully carried out. The World Waterfall Database, as Bryan and I have gathered information over the years, would suggest that such an endeavor, if done completely, would be several large volumes deep. Rita Barton's effort offers a brief overview of what can be found the world over, but simply doesn't have the space needed to pull off this daunting task.

The book covers 117 waterfalls in 36 countries. Not definitive, but ambitious. The falls are black and white, fairly high quality and printed on quality glossy stock. It's enough to give a general feel for what the world has to offer in terms of waterfalls, but ultimately falls short. In addition, it focuses primarily on the photographs and offers only very brief narrative.

The Bottom Line: It's not a bad book to have, and it certainly has a fairly rich content. Given that it is out of print, any copy you manage to find will likely be a bit pricey, but it IS fair fodder for the armchair traveler.