Loke Wan Tho was born in Kuala Lumpur in 1915. His father, who ha come there in 1858 with no means, was one of the richest men in the country by the time Loke was born. Loke went to school in Switzerland and then the Cambridge University where he read English Literature and History, and the London School of Economics, returning to Malaya just before the start of World War II. Fleeing from the Japanese in 1942, Loke suffered severe burns and temporary blindness when the ship he was on was sunk by a Japanese Bomb. He was rescued at sea and after he recovered was evacuated to Bombay, India. Here he was introduced to Salim Ali, India’s most eminent ornithologist, and this led to a lifelong friendship. Loke’s interest in birds developed into a passion for ornithology and he accompanied Salim Ali on several birding trips. The stunning photographs he took during these and other field studies in India, New Guinea, as well as in Malaya and Singapore, form the core of this book. Their value lies not just in the information they provide about bird habits and behaviour, particularly nesting, but in their technical and aesthetic quality. Extracts from the diaries he kept of his trips add illuminating details about places, people, birds, and bout Loke Wan Tho himself. Loke Wan Tho was also a successful businessman and a philanthropist who supported many charities, associations and educational institutions. In his lifetime he was honoured by the state of Kelantan in Malaysia which gave him the title of Dato. His was a well-rounded personality with varied interests; however his first love was ornithology, and he was a nature lover before it became fashionable to care for the environment. His qualities as a human being were exemplary, and as one writer said: "it was his tact, conscientiousness and complete integrity and efficiency with which he discharged all his functions which won him the respect and admiration of all."
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