The Life of Birds (Hardcover)

by David Attenborough (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Tireless explorer of the natural world and wide-ranging traveler, documentary filmmaker and writer David Attenborough has delighted readers and viewers with such productions as Life on Earth and The Living Planet. In this companion to a 10-part PBS series of the same name, Attenborough examines the ways of bird species from prehistoric times to the present, writing, as he admits, from the viewpoint of an amateur with a particular interest in animal behavior. (Those who can distinguish a bird at sight or by song possess a skill, he writes, "which I greatly admire, but one, alas, that I do not possess.") That amateur passion yields a fine overview of avian biology, as Attenborough turns to such matters as the antiquity of birds, which have dominated the air for some 150 million years, and the adaptation of birds to every ecosystem on the planet--for no obstacle, from huge mountains to wide oceans, has been able to stop their colonizing the whole of the globe, including the artificial deserts of major cities, where pigeons and peregrines rule. Graced with 180 color photographs, Attenborough's book will delight birdwatchers, students of animal behavior, and admirers of good writing alike. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly
European swifts sleep and mate in midair. The lammergeier, a vulture, eats large bones, "like a circus sword-swallower." The male sungrebe carries his young in tiny pouches akin to "saddlebags." These are just a few of the delightful avian minutiae to be culled from eminent naturalist Attenborough's latest book, a highly readable and vibrantly photographed survey of bird behavior. With a careful hand, Attenborough (The Private Life of Plants) takes readers around the world, offering vivid descriptions of eating habits, flight, communication, mating, parenthood and environmental adaptability. The shearwater in Japan must launch itself from a treetop in order to get off the ground; Attenborough compares the shape of its wing to "a comma lying on its side... the almost magical device that keeps a bird in the air." Ample color photos illustrate the quirks of evolution that Attenborough playfully describes and highlight the scope of his project. Sandgrouse fill up at a desert watering hole in South Africa and penguins cavort on an iceberg. Indeed, the pictures themselves are a marvel and will have readers wondering more than once: "How did they get that shot?" Just as, perhaps, they may wonder how Attenborough has been able to gather such myriad fascinating discoveries of nature (he acknowledges the contributions of professionals and "masochistic" amateurs). Notably, this is not a long book. But it is an extraordinarily rich one. FYI: An accompanying 10-part PBS series will air in 1999.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; 1 edition (September 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069101633X
• ISBN-13: 978-0691016337
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #229,153 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally informative!, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

I found The Life of Birds very enjoyable and informative. The author took the trouble to break the information down into a logical set of chapter topics, and the photos are a pleasure to study, especially after reading the accompanying insightful text. I have plenty of good guides to North American birds, but none of my other books have the worldwide scope that this book does, highlighting both the similarities and differences in various species means of handling a given survival skill. Well done! (I enjoyed the subtle humour too!)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is another fascinating read from David Attenborough., March 7, 1999

By A Customer

The Life of Birds is another fascinating read from David Attenborough. I chose this book solely because he wrote it, not because I was looking for a book about birds. When I came across the book I knew it would be beautifully written and extremely interesting:and it is. Anyone who read and savored The Living Planet will find The Life of Birds to be equally fascinating. The photographs are of the highest caliber. This book can be read and re-read and it will always be interesting. It is a wonderful book to share with children as well. Young one's can benefit from looking at the pictures and having an adult simplify the text. This book is an excellent addition to the home library.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An indispensable book for any bird lover, December 29, 1998

By A Customer

As someone who has had a lifelong fascination with birds, I bought this book more for the photographs than anything else. After all, I knew everything about them already, right? Well, boy, was I put in my place! I learned things about these enigmatic creatures that I never would have imagined. One of the reasons this book is so enjoyable is the fact that Mr. Attenborough makes his own awe at the sheer wonder that birds are readily apparent, rather than speaking from the lofty heights of so many of his contemporaries. It's almost as if he is sharing his journey with the reader, and the two are making these discoveries together. And the hundreds of color photographs are incomparable, almost heartbreaking in their beauty. To make a long story short: if you love birds, then you MUST have this book. Period. Thanks, Mr. Attenborough!