Birds Britannica [Hardcover]

Mark Cocker (Author), Richard Mabey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2005 | Series: Britannica

Birds Britannica is a lavishly illustrated, comprehensive cultural study, species by species, of all the birds in Britain. Neither an identification guide nor a behavioral study (though both of these subjects enter its field), it concentrates on the cultural links and social history of birds and humans, and captures the essence of why birds matter. The product of years of research, it is based in part on contributions from the public who sent in their memories and experiences of birds, making this a rich trove of stories and observations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The 400–plus color illustrations throughout are superlative.” -- Library Journal

About the Author

Mark Cocker is the author of the international best-seller, Birders. Richard Mabey is the winner of the Whitbread Award and the author of Flora Britannica.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 484 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK; 1St Edition edition (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0701169079
• ISBN-13: 978-0701169077
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 1.7 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,653,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for Britishers, July 26, 2006

By 

bukhtan (Chicago, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birds Britannica (Hardcover)

I just bought this books for a extremely discriminating birder and find that it's going to be difficult for me, a mere enthusiastic ignoramus of a North American nature enthusiast, to hand over to the lucky recipient. The authors have assembled an impressive array of photography, art and artefacts relating to British birds, but this visual array is surpassed by an information-rich and very readable text. They have collected the most recent scientific and environmental data on each family of birds inhabiting Britain and combined it with well-chosen summaries of the folklore and popular attitudes relating to these creatures. As I say, not just for those dwelling on the off-Continent island, but for anyone who cares about birds anywhere and who cares about English speaking culture, from Shakespeare to those currently shaking their fists at the masses of starlings overflying North America.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cut Above the Average Bird Book, October 30, 2007

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birds Britannica (Hardcover)

There are literally hundreds of Bird Books on the shelves of Bookshops these days. Why do we need so many? Well we don't really, apart, that is, for the fact that printing techniques, particularly colour ones, have changed so dramatically that photographs virtually leap off the page at you. For example, a Robin looks the same now as it did a hundred years ago, so the bird book I had thirty, or even twenty years ago should depict the Robin in exactly the same way. Well hardly, as I said above printing has changed and the advance of the camera is phenomenal.

What used to be `stock or library photographs,' appearing in the same format in book after book have now been superseded by new and vibrant photographs of close-ups of birds, both nesting on the wing and in places that were inaccessible to any kind of successful camera work, just a few years ago.

This book is both comprehensive and easy to read and of course the text is backed up by wonderful photographs of British birds in all kinds of situations. Although it is a reference book, it is also a book that you can actually read and enjoy. It covers the birds species by species, in such detail that it practically tells you what they have for breakfast. Joking apart it virtually does just that.

Much more than a species identification and certainly not one to take out in the field with you. There are lots of other books that serve that purpose very well. This book is a book to savour (no pun intended). A book for the fireside, when the wind is whistling around the chimney pots.