The Physical Geography of Western Europe

Five stars because it is a really good book. But, see below. This book, "PGWE," contains a great deal of interesting material. Though not a scientist, I am interested in geology and geography. PGWE in being written by European authors about European landmass offered me a somewhat complementary perspective to what I have known about these topics from American sources. I learned a lot from PGWE about peatlands and about tide-related seacoast environment. The "case-studies" of the Parisian Basin, the French and Belgian Uplands, and the German Uplands and Alpine Forelands were interesting to read and instructive. I live in Wisconsin near the terminal moraine of the last continental glaciation and have long been interested in glacial topics. PGWE has good chapters on "The Last Glaciation and Geomorphology" and "Periglacial Geomorphology." This book offers a person interested in the topics covered a fine opportunity to read and learn. PGWE is not the book I had expected! The Oxford University Press published in the early 2000's a series, the Oxford Regional Environments. I have long had a copy of The Physical Geography of North America (PGNA), an impressive book, which addresses general topics such as "The Pleistocene Legacy" and "Plant and Animal Ecology" but also importantly covers all of the "Regional Environments" of the US, Canada, and some of Northern Mexico. If you want to learn about your home environment, e.g. the Great Lakes, it is there in PGNA. But, in PGWE only Germany, France, and the "Low Countries" are covered in any detail. You won't find Poland, Austria, Italy, England, or Spain and Portugal covered.