The Life of Mammals rating: asin: B00008OM6K binding: DVD list price: $79.98 USD amazon price: $79.98

I've seen a lot of documentaries on animals in my day; I've also been to a few zoos and read as much as the next guy.

Thus I was expecting the usual from this series - a few interesting tidbits, perhaps some daring close-to-the-target footage, and so on. I wasn't expecting to be utterly fascinated and delighted.

Attenborough, armed with a good film crew and what appears to be the latest equipment for studying and observing animals in the wild, has got a superb documentary here. The footage is highly original, and the technology used isn't hidden. On the contrary, you usually get to see exactly how it is they're getting the critters on film, and the techniques used are quite interesting just on their own.