Albatrosses are long-lived seabirds that have long impressed those who travel the oceans, although this admiration has not prevented them from being killed in large numbers. They are famed for their supreme adaptations to the marine environment, breeding on remote islands and spending most of their lives at sea flying immense distances.

Drawing on his own fieldwork and a comprehensive review of the literature, W.L.N. Tickell now presents the first comparative account of the albatross family. He explores albatross natural history from a geographic point of view, arranging the birds in four groups for convenience. He describes the various forms within each group, their distribution and breeding biology, as well as comparative treatments of moult, flight, behavior, and ecology. He concludes with a review of conservation and human attitudes toward albatrosses. His authoritative text is accompanied by numerous maps, tables, diagrams, and color photographs.