Longlisted for The James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing 2022
Find solace,hope and happiness through 12 fascinating birds whose song is never far away - if only we know where to look ...
Can you recognise the cheerful chirrups of the house sparrow A song thrush singing out at winter's darkest hour Or the beautiful haunting call of the curlew
At a time of great anxiety and uncertainty,while coping with the untimely death of his mother,Charlie Corbett realised his perspective on life was slipping. In a moment of despair,he found himself lying on the side of a hill in the rain,alone with his thoughts.
Suddenly he hears the song of a skylark - that soaring,tinkling,joyous sound echoing through the air above - and he is transported away from his dark thoughts. Grounded by the beauty of nature,perspective dawns. No longer the leading role in his own private melodrama,merely a bit part in nature's great epic.
Through twelve characterful birds,Charlie shows us there is joy to be found if we know where to look,and how to listen. From solitary skylarks to squabbling sparrows,he explores the place of these birds in our history,culture and landscape,noting what they look like and where you're most likely to meet them.
By reconnecting with the wildlife all around him and learning to move with the rhythms of the natural world,Charlie discovered nature's powerful ability to heal.
In this life-affirming and joyful guide to the birds living all around us,it might just heal you too.
Publisher: Penguin Books LtdISBN: 9781405949217Number of pages: 304Weight: 213 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 18 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'A lyrical and life-affirming book that teaches us as much about birds as it does ourselves - a balm for the soul'- Raynor Winn,author of The Salt Path
'Totally absorbing and completely engaging on so many levels... Charlie has opened my eyes to the constant joy of the sights and sounds of the birds that surround us. It is a book that really will save lives'- Dr Richard Shepherd,author of Unnatural Causes
'An enchanting book. I knew at once this was something special'- Lady Anne Glenconner
'This is no ordinary ornithology,but one that portrays the very essence of each bird through a very human lens and shows us that both solace and joy can be ours by merely observing with an open eye and an open heart'- John Wright,author of The Forager's Calendar
'A wonderful blend of the lyrical and practical. Charlie shows us that our relationship with birds and the natural world is not only healing,but an important part of our cultural heritage worth protecting'- Adam Henson
'From dawn choruses to the first chiffchaff calls of spring,Charlie Corbett shows how the changing seasons can bring happy natural rhythms to times of hardship'- National Geographic Traveller
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