BOOK REVIEWS 235

Granite seems such a simple rock that it is easy towonder what all the fuss is about. There has, however, beena granite problem since the time of the NeptunistIPlutonistcontroversy 200 years ago, though the nature of the problemhas changed with time. This book is a set of personal essaysin which the author draws upon his wealth of experience inpresenting his views. The Preface states that the author has'... tried to avoid unnecessary jargon and to provide a paththrough the ever-accumulating thicket of literature whichthreatens to overwhelm the very science it aims to report'and he will earn the warm thanks of his readers for havingachieved this.

The book begins with a historical review of ideas ongranite and its characterization. There follows an essay onthe chemistry of granite and the constraints imposed byexperimental studies of granite systems, and this is followedby a review of the physical nature of granitic magmas andof the information encapsulated in granitic minerals andtextures. Differentiation in granite is considered next and areview given of the ways in which granite can come to formfractions of differing texture and composition.

The author turns next to Read's contention - and he wasnot alone in this - that granite and basalt were generated byfundamentally different processes, the one plutonic and theother volcanic, and concludes that the processes may not beas different as had been envisaged. Unmixing as a differen­tiation process is next considered, followed by a review ofthe fashionable concept of the mingling and mixing ofmagmas of contrasted composition. The problems of theemplacement of plutons are tackled next and reservationsare expressed as to the validity of the 'rising balloon' modelof granites that features so often in geological cartoons.A more passive role is envisaged of magma being drawn tofill cavities produced in the crust by extensional shearzones, fracturing, or by sheet intrusions taking advantageof developing fault systems. The thesis is presented of alink between the mechanism of emplacement and globaltectonic activity.

The next four chapters are a critical review of thedifferent tectonic environments that are host to graniteemplacements. Each, from oceanic plagiogranite tomigmatite, is considered with respect to the composition,structure, and setting of its granites. Two further chaptershave to do with waning stages of plutonic activity andespecially with the role of volatiles in the genesis ofmetallic ores and the sources of granitic magmas withrespect to tectonic setting.

The book concludes with a chapter called •A Sort ofConclusion' which expounds the underlying theme of thebook that, though granite might seem to be simple rock, it isthe product of a complex series of partial melting eventsthat begin in the mantle and then are likely to involve thebasaltic crustal underplate and continental components.There is, as one might expect, no single route from startingpoint to end-product.

The author writes in a straightforward, personal stylethat is easy to follow. The book is both a masterly com-

pilation and a considered critique of the vast amount ofinformation that has accumulated over the years. WallacePitcher, refreshingly, gives his own views and expandson the underlying themes that granitic processes aretectonically controlled and that granite magmas image theirsources. This approach is challenging and the authorquestions whether we are not now '... moving away fromconventional views of subduction and towards modelsinvolving the uprise of mantle during crustal extension'(p. 293). He leaves with us a diagram setting out a geneticclassification of granites that links their origin and evolutionto familiar global tectonic situations.

The book is well produced and largely, though notentirely, free from minor errors. Each chapter ends witha few selected references and there is an extensivebibliography and an index. I enjoyed reading the book andI am sure that this pleasure will be shared by many others.

A. C. BISHOPQueen Mary and Westfield College

University ofLondon

Geomorphology of Desert Environments, A. D. Abrahamsand A. 1. Parsons (eds), 1994, Chapman & Hall, London,674 pp. ISBN 0-412-44480-1 (HB), £85.

After the publication of textbooks by Cooke & Warren(1973) and Mabbutt (1977) in the 1970s, there was some­thing of a lull, and desert geomorphologists waited a longtime for an up-to-date summary of their subject. Then, likethe London bus of mythology, three came along at once.Thomas (1989) provided an edited collection, Arid ZoneGeomorphology, allegedly about to appear in secondedition, partly to counter the competition provided by thesubsequent publication of the other two). Cooke and Warrenwere joined by the ubiquitous Professor Goudie to produceDesert Geomorphology (Cooke, Warren & Goudie, 1993).And, most recently, Athol Abrahams and Tony Parsonshave provided us with this volume. In addition, many morespecialized texts, conference proceedings and editedcollections have appeared on allied subjects, and more arepromised, so that for the first time desert geomorphologistsare provided with some choice of books.

Geomorphology of Desert Environments is the thickest,heaviest and most costly of these recent books. It is animpressive, edited collection of 26 chapters organized intoeight parts: introduction, weathering, hillslopes, rivers,piedmonts, lake basins, aeolian surfaces, and climaticchange. As the editors are from the USA and UK, most ofthe authors are also from these countries, but there are twoauthors from the antipodes and one from Germany. There isa strong bias towards North American examples, for abouttwo-thirds of the book was written there. The editorsacknowledge this bias, suggesting that modem research

236 BOOK REVIEWS

published in English is dominated by work in the Americansouthwest. This is arguable, and reflects the fluvial, ratherthan aeolian , interests of the editors. I suspect that in aeoliangeomorphology more research emanates from Africa, eitherSaharan or southern, than from the USA.

In an attempt to distance themselves from the com­petition, the preface states that the book is pitched at ahigher level than either Thomas (1989) or Cooke et al.(1993 ). The claim of the preface is that authors wereinvited to provide up-to-date reviews of a given topic ata level where some prior knowledge of desert geomorph­ology could be assumed. As the editors imply, the responsefrom authors was varied . For all edited collections thedanger is a lack of uniformity of purpose. Even within thesection on climatic change, where there are seven papers,this difficulty is apparent for some authors have discussedthe nature of the evidence while others have tackled thechronologies.

Elsewhere in the book some authors have indeed provid­ed timely reviews of the state of knowledge in their subjectarea. Smith's chapter on weathering, for example, providesan excellent, balanced review. He explains the issues, showswhere the topic has got to, provide s good references andoffers insights of his own. Currey's chapters on lake basinsare also impressively thorough. Others have stuck to theirspecialist interests , such that , for instance, Laity 's chapteron wind erosion is particularly excellent on ventifacts. Yetothers, such as Abrahams, Howard and Parsons, have takenthe opportunity to report new research findings so that theirchapters are part review, part research report. But in othercases, authors have provided neither review nor particularlyoriginal research . The most glaringly parochial example isSack 's chapter on the evidence of climate change from lakebasins. Despite a wealth of potential information, thechapter does not move away from the Basin-and-Rangeregion of western USA, and is almost exclusively aboutLake Bonneville .

As an aeolian geomorphologist I was disappointed to findonly four chapters in 26 covering aeolian topics (furtherreflecting the American fluvialists' view of the world?) andamazed that recent controversy about peri-desert loesses isnot tackled at all. Of the three chapters which attempt totackle overarching themes, Williams' on climatic change indeserts is the most successful, possibly because he realizedthe impossibility of offering a truly global synthesis, butchose the examples of Australia and the Sahara which werewell known to him.

Despite all this quibbling about approach and content, thebook does provide the greatest volume of material on desertgeomorphology between two covers , and includes someexcellent and many worthy chapters. It thus largely fulfilsits aim to provide a good reference book for researchers.It is well produced, and I found only one mis-captioneddiagram. However, at £85, only consultants, professors andothers on exorbitant salaries will be able to buy their owncopy. For the rest of us we will have to refer to it in thelibrary. The price means that they have left it to Thomas and

Cooke et al. to squabble over the undergraduate market(watch this space!) . Meanwhile, Geomorphology of DesertEnvironments will act as a valued reference text for desertgeornorphologists, postgraduate students and some of themore able undergraduates on specialist courses.

REFERENCES

COOKE, R. U. & WARREN , A. 1973. Geomorphology in Deserts,Batsford , London .

- - , - - & GOUDIE , A. S. 1993. Desert Geomorphology, UCLPress, London .

MABBUTI, J. A. 1977. Desert Landforms, ANU Press , Canberra.THOMAS , D. S. G. (cd.) 1989. Arid Zone Geomorphology,

Belhaven , London.

IAN LIVINGSTONENene College, Northampton

Glacial Environments , M. Hambrey, 1994, UCL Press,London, 296 pp. ISBN 1-85728-004-0 (SB), £14 .95.

For students and lecturers in glacial geomorphology thereis an urgent need for a good, modem textbook. This isbecause the 'classic' Glaciers and Landscape by Sugden &John (1977), although an excellent book in breadth, clarityand readability, is now sadly out of date. The reason whythis has not been up-dated is because glacial geomorph­ology is such a huge subject, and because there are so manyrapid changes that it is difficult for one person to keep upwith all the new discoveries in all the different areas ofglacial geomorphology.

This new book is refreshing because it looks at glacialgeomorphology from a different standpoint from mostothers , reflecting the author's own research in the moreglaciological aspects of glacial geomorphology and in pre­Quaternary glaciations.

The book begins with an interesting look at sedimento­logical techniques used in the analysis of glacial sediments- both terrestrial and subsqueous - and a brief discussion ofpast glaciations. This is followed by a section on glacialdynamics which is well written and illustrated, and includesmodem work on deforming beds. debris entrainment andsurges. After this, glacial erosion is discussed, with anamazing variety of examples from all over the world. Thisis followed by a discussion on glacial deposition , which alsocovers a vast range of sediments and landforms . Then thereare four chapters on glacio-fluvial, glaciolacustrine andglaciomarine sedimentation. Again these cover a widerange of topics and are well illustrated .

In general, the photographs throughout the book areexcellent, they come from allover the world, and conveythe dynamic and exciting nature of glacial environmentswhich I think students will really appreciate . However, I