A Nature Diary [Paperback]

Richard Adams (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For a full year, Richard Adams (Watership Down kept a day-to-day record of what he saw and heard outdoors. With his Welsh collie Tetter and, occasionally, with friends, he tramped the countryside on the Isle of Man in all kinds of weather. During that year he journeyed to other placesLondon, the Lake District, Denmark, Australia, North Wales (where he attended a course on seabirds). Most entries are brief, but they reflect Adams's trained eye and wide interests, which include plants, animals and landscapes. This charming diary will appeal to bird watchers, gardeners, walkers and anyone else who enjoys nature. Lawrence's drawings are exquisite.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Richard Adams, known chiefly for his novel Watership Down , here delights us with his observations on daily walks on the Isle of Man, where he lives. On short trips to London, the Lake District, Anglesey and on longer expeditions to Denmark and Australia, he has his eyes open to the birds, flowers, and animals encountered in the course of the day. Everywhere he finds there is always something to enjoy. At home with his Welsh collie, Tetter, and often accompanied by enthusiastic walking companions, he makes everyday observances special with allusions to literature and bits of humor ("Tetter and I sploshed four miles in gum boots. I wore the gum boots"). He is particular about scientific names and not content until he has made a satisfactory identification. Delicate watercolors by John Lawrence greatly enhance the book. Evelyn G. Callaway, California Native Plant Society, Ridgecrest
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (March 3, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140057161
• ISBN-13: 978-0140057164
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,549,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard George Adams (born 9 May, 1920) is an English novelist who is best known as the author of Watership Down.

He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters, and they insisted he publish it as a book. When Watership Down was finally published, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972.

Richard Adams currently lives in Hampshire, England.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Year of Plants and Birds in Britain, August 18, 2006

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Nature Diary (Paperback)

This pleasant nature diary contains observations by John Adams of birds, plants, weather and insects on the Isle of Man. As he rambles about with his dog, Tetter, and varied visitors, he records his day-to-day viewings.
A few times in the year, he journeys to the Lake District, London, Denmark, and Australia, and continues his nature journal in those places.
The sketches of the plants and scenes (by John Lawrence) add some color and helped me visualize the many unfamiliar plants. Eventually the book becomes a bit tedious, but that may be from my recent reading of May Sarton's journals which combine nature and her personal insights. Adams sticks strictly to the nature and does not inject his personality which may disappoint readers of his bestsellers, Watership Down, etc.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nature, January 6, 2010

By 

Gayle - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Nature Diary (Hardcover)

The birds, animals, and wildflowers or the Isle of Man are vividly described and brought before the reader's eye. The author is out in all weathers, missing nothing of the pageant of the months, the seasons, and even of the stars. For him, the most ordinary day discloses something exciting. Written at an adult level with some lovely illustrations.