Any idea as to the date of publication and publisher?
Don

Phenomena: a book of wonders
first published by Thames and Hudson, London
1977

Hope this helps

Well, that puts it into the realm of metal type most likely. At first I thought it was some version of Times, but the E is wrong and the ear on the g seems too angled. Can you find a sample that shows more upper case letters?

- Mike Yanega

In looking through Jaspert's "Encyclopaedia of Type Faces" I think this may be Life by Ludwig & Mayer from 1964. The digital version does not show the slightly angled eye of the 'e', but the distinctive slanted upper bowl of the 'g' is there. It seems as if your scan lost some details, like the ear of the 'g' and the arm (?) of the 'r', but if I had to guess right now, that would be my choice.

Anyone else have some printed metal samples of Life to compare?

- Mike Yanega

Thanks for the information.
Here are some more samples.

Sorry, I have been gone for a week, but those samples convince me that "Life" is the right typeface. There is only one anomaly that I have noticed -- the italic J is wrong. The "Life" italic J should not have a serif on the tail of the J, just as it does not in the Roman J (see John Rimmer in bottom sample). The type is surely not Times because the J is below the baseline and the wrong shape.

I'm sticking with my answer.

- Mike Yanega