Being a specialist book reviewer, I almost always have a solid understanding of what any given book I sit down to read for review is about, and what I can reasonably expect from it. “Almost always,” that is.
Being a specialist book reviewer, I almost always have a solid understanding of what any given book I sit down to read for review is about, and what I can reasonably expect from it. “Almost always,” that is.
The British Wildlife Collection was inaugurated in 2012 with the publication of Peter Marren’s “Mushrooms” and has now reached its tenth volume with the upcoming publication in April 2021 of Martin Warren’s “Butterflies.” Not surprisingly, Mark, being Mark, has got hold of an advance copy for review.
Those of you who know Mark Avery no doubt already know of his work in conservation – both of species as well as habitats. His “A Message from Martha; the Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon and Its Relevance Today” remains one of the best books available on the subject, and his “Inglorious; Conflict in the Uplands” is a superbly aimed broadside against the sheer waste and abuse of the uplands for the benefit of a very small number of grouse shooting enthusiasts.
Mark Avery and I have certainly been in sync (as the kids say these days) with what books we’ve been reading. No sooner had I picked up the recently arrived advance review copy of Michael Blencowe’s forthcoming book “Gone; a Search for What Remains of the World’s Extinct Creatures” than I happened to open up Mark’s blog to see what he had reviewed this Sunday and what-do-you-know; it was “Gone” (the book “Gone,” that is; Mark’s blog is very much still there).