A History of Birds

By Simon Wills White Owl £16.99

Examining the origin of a bird’s name, reputation and place in our culture usually ends up in a captivating mix of social history, natural history and art. History journalist Simon Wills has created exactly that, giving detailed, accessible accounts of 30 species, from the blackbird to the woodpecker. He includes a healthy mix of quotes from playwrights and poets such as Wordsworth and Shakespeare, and archival illustrations to pore over and savour – including a 13th-century depiction of a barnacle goose ‘tree’. Ed Drewitt Naturalist