Books & Publications

Pierre Constant started writing diary and logbooks as soon as he began to travel at the age of 19. His first books on his trip to India (1975), Latin America (1976) and his ethnological study on the Kafir Kalash tribe of North West Frontier Pakistan (1979), were never published unfortunately, to his great frustration…

Fortunately, grand father gave him a substantial help in 1983 when he was able to self publish “L’Archipel des Galapagos” in the French language, which second edition with photos came out in 1989. The third edition, in a bigger format and enhanced quality, was produced in Hong Kong (1994) and got the interest of Odyssey Publications/Airphoto International for an English version.

The first English edition of “The Galapagos Islands – a natural history guide”, translated by the author and edited in Hong Kong, became an instant best seller in the USA and England. Subsequently, it became a reference book, got the praise of the New York Daily News:                 

“For cruisers, this is, by far, the best Galapagos guide on the market. Photos are tantalizing, as well as truly informative; nature info is detailed enough for a botany text…”

In the same way, Pierre self-published “Marine life of the Galapagos – a diver’s guide to the fishes, whales, dolphins and marine invertebrates” in 1992. The second (2003) and third editions (2007) were produced and edited in Hong Kong and were a co-edition with Airphoto International.

Following his diving explorations and life experiences in Papua New Guinea (1994-2000), Pierre also published “Manus, Admiralty Islands – lost world of the Titans” (1998), a coffee table book of land and underwater photographs, with an account of his personal adventures.

The author has obviously more projects of books in mind, including “Namibia” and “Madagascar”, and is open to any publisher’s interest.

Galapagos - A Natural History Guide

The international reference guide book and bestseller, on the natural history of the Galapagos Islands, covering geology, ocean currents, human history, flora, evolution, mammals, birds, reptiles, visitors sites, marine reserve, islands and villages maps, index to common and scientific names, lexicon English-French-Smanish, bibliography. Produced in Hong Kong by Odyssey Books.

• 316 pages
• format 15cm x 21cm
• 180 colour photographs
• 71 plates of maps and line drawings
• all in one guidebook with updated info

Reviews and Praises

"If you are planning a trip to the Galapagos, this book is a must have. It covers everything. It begins with the historic and scientific background including Darwin, the ocean currents and arrival of various flora and fauna. Part Two describes all of the various wildlife on the islands. Part Three desribes in detail all of the islands. There are wonderful maps showing the details of anything you can think of looking for on each island. Part Four is dedicated to the Galapagos National Park. There are also sections on diving, practical information, chronology of the islands appendices, etc. This book is well written, the photos are great and as I said before, the maps are fantastic." - Catherine, on February 14, 2015 (Amazon)

"This is a detailed summary of most everything you would want to know about the natural history of the Galapagos islands. If you are planning a trip to this part of our planet, this book is a must. It is well documented and easy to follow." - David L. Filkin, on June 27, 2015 (Amazon)

"Thorough explanation of the geology, flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands." - Gary Ganong, on March 11, 2011 (Goodreads)

Marine Life of the Galapagos

Revised edition with updated information, amended text, new species, extraordinary biodiversity.  A must for divers and ocean lovers. Includes a chapter on the Galapagos Marine Reserve, list of diving sites and relevant maps. Contains information on oceanography, zoogeographic affinities, coral reefs in the Galapagos, El Nino-La Nina phenomenon, and index to families and endemic fishes. Description of families and fish species, whales, dolphins and marine invertebrates. 

• 308 pages
• format 15cm x 21cm
• 288 colour photographs
• 27 plates of maps and line drawings

Reviews & Praises

"Considering all the color photos throughout, this book is a bargain. Good info and species are classified in an easy to find way." - Jerome Lottsburg, on October 24, 2011 (Amazon)

"The author (educated as a naturalist) has spent many years living and guiding divers in the Galapagos. He gives descriptions of many of the fish and other animals that live in this part of the world. Many of them are accompanied by photographs taken by the author. Unfortunately, he does not have pictures of all of the creatures that he describes.  His background as a naturalist is often evident, as he discusses such things as the appearance of warmer-water species during the El Nino event of 1982-1983, the possible paths for migration of new species to this remote area, etc.  He also illustrates the book with numerous hand-drawn maps of dive sites, island bathymetry, etc." - NoFe2O3, on January 2, 2011 (Amazon)

Archipel Des Galapagos

Manus, Admiralty Islands – Lost world of the Titans