Life on Earth
By David Attenborough
 
First edition, first impression: London: William Collins Sons & Co Ltd, 1979. Signed by the author to half-title.
 
Octavo. Original tan cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With the original pictorial dust jacket, priced £7.95 net. 
 
A very good copy indeed, the binding square and firm with bright gilt. There are a few fairly light marks to the boards; some faint browning to the rear endpaper and paste-down; a faded remnant of a previous owner's name to the front endpaper, with the contents otherwise clean and fresh throughout.
 
The original and unclipped dust jacket is near fine, with some of the usual fading to the spine panel and minimal traces of wear to the spine ends; there is a small spot of abrasion to the spine foot and a few unobtrusive and faint spots to the lower flap; overall presenting as a sharp, superior example.
 
This landmark volume was published to accompany the thirteen-part BBC television series of the same name, which premiered in January 1979. The production was a monumental undertaking, taking three years to film and visiting over 30 countries. It represented a paradigm shift in natural history broadcasting, utilising then-revolutionary techniques like macro-photography and high-speed filming to document the evolution of life. The series was viewed by an estimated 500 million people worldwide and established Attenborough as the preeminent voice of the natural world. It was the first of his "Life" trilogy, followed by The Living Planet (1984) and The Trials of Life (1990), and its success served as the catalyst for the modern era of high-budget, global nature documentaries.