Journey Into Africa through the lens of National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting, whose images have created an enduring vision of Africa’s diverse landscapes and wildlife.

Experience the wonders of wild Africa as seen through the eyes of master photographer Frans Lanting, whose images have created an enduring vision of the continent’s primeval natural heritage—and what is at stake in the twenty-first century.

Lanting’s images feature some of the most celebrated landscapes on Earth, from the sweeping vistas of the Serengeti Plains and the water wilderness of the Okavango Delta to the enchanting deserts of Namibia, the bewildering jungles of the Congo, and the otherworldly island of Madagascar.

During many journeys over the past three decades, Lanting has documented Africa’s iconic animals—elephants, rhinos, giraffes, lions, leopards, and cheetahs—as well as its endangered primates, including gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and lemurs. His personal stories express the deep understanding and sense of mission that make his work stand out as a unique tribute to the continent’s wildlife and wild places. This book is based on Frans Lanting’s landmark exhibition, Into Africa, which was produced as a partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the National Geographic Society, with support from the World Wildlife Fund. 

Chris Eckstrom is a writer, editor, and videographer. She is the author of Forgotten Edens and a contributor to many books published by National Geographic. She earned a Lowell Thomas Award for Best Magazine Article on Foreign Travel for her National Geographic Traveler story, “The Last Real Africa.” The editor of Lanting’s books, she has also filmed and produced stories for the National Geographic Channel. Lanting and Eckstrom are partners in life and work. They collaborate on publishing projects from their home base in Santa Cruz, California, and they lead conservation and photography safaris in Africa and other wild locations around the world.

Frans Lanting has been hailed as one of the great nature photographers of our time. His influential work appears in books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world and has been commissioned frequently by National Geographic. Lanting’s books include Life: A Journey Through Time, Jungles, Penguin, Living Planet, Eye to Eye, Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape, Okavango: Africa’s Last Eden, and Madagascar: A World Out of Time. His books have received awards and acclaim: "No one turns animals into art more completely than Frans Lanting," writes The New Yorker. Lanting’s fine art prints are represented in many public and private collections. Lanting is an Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund and has received numerous awards for his work as a photographer and conservationist, including top honors from World Press Photo and the title of BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year. H.R.H. Prince Bernhard inducted him as a Knight in the Royal Order of the Golden Ark, the Netherlands’ highest conservation honor.

Wade Davis studied for several years with Richard Evans Schultes while getting his PhD in ethnobotany and is a critically acclaimed, internationally best-selling author and anthropologist. His many books include The Serpent and the Rainbow, One River, The Wayfinders, and Into the Silence, winner of the 2012 Samuel Johnson Prize, the top award for literary nonfiction in the English language. Between 1999 and 2013 he served as explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society and is currently Professor of Anthropology and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia.

Carter Roberts is President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund in the United States. Roberts leads WWF’s efforts to save the world’s great ecosystems and address climate change by linking science, field, and policy programs with an ambitious initiative to work with markets and businesses to lighten their impact on the planet. Roberts earned his MBA from Harvard Business School following a BA from Princeton University, and subsequently held marketing management positions for Procter & Gamble and Gillette. He went on to lead international conservation and science programs for fifteen years at The Nature Conservancy before coming to WWF in 2004. Roberts lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Jackie Prince Roberts, and their three children.