Novels (1 Viewer)

[TheSeagull]

What good birding/wildlife novels is there? The only ones I can think of are Watership Down and Tarka the Otter. What others are there? Anything more about wildlife watching?

 

[Monahawk]

I think there are several Calvin, but most are aimed at the child reader market,[though that hasn't stopped me from reading them].
Here are some that spring to mind:-
Kes by Barry Hines.
The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London.
Godhanger by Dick King-Smith.
The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes.[ This is an eco story not a horror story about the worlds scariest woman, Mrs T.].
The Last Wolf by Micheal Morpurgo.[ A childrens tale but wonderful all the same].
Five Owls by Trevor Beer.[ Rather lame, but if you are into Owls and want a quick read then search it out].

Then of course you could search out classics by the likes of Gerald Durrell or even Rudyard Kipling.

I hope these are of help.

 

[Apodemus]

William Horwood's "The Stonor Eagles" is a good read.

 

[Hobbes2]

I can second TheSeagull's recommendation of "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico. It's a gentle novel. Nothing earth shattering but an easy read and full of a love for wildlife/birds.

I read The Peregrin by J.A. Baker. It's a desolate read which makes much more sense if you've read the preface by Robert Macfarlane. It's essentially about one man and his observations of Peregrins. I'm not sure it's one you can say you 'enjoyed' but it certainly conveys something of the cold, harsh reality of survival in the wild.

Hobbes

 

[Apodemus]

Also, anything (almost) by Mike Tomkies is worth a read. If you don't know him, google him but beware, you might end up joining the Tomkies cult.

(I also third the Snow Goose suggestion)

Mike

 

[Apodemus]

Barry Hines:

A kestrel for a knave (filmed as Kes)

The gamekeeper

 

[Edward]

Fly Away Peter by David Malouf. A very poignant Australian novel, parly set in bird-rich northern Queensland and partly in first world war Flanders. Certainly not about birding, but birds and landscape feature prominently in it.

 

[Songkhran]

more about exploring British wildernesses but The Wild Places is rewarding read

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wild-Places...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259765554&sr=1-1

The Snow Leopard is a spiritual odyssey about searching for wildlife in Nepal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snow-Leopar...=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259765406&sr=1-4

The Peregrine - just read it one of the best books I've ever read
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Peregrine-Y...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259765622&sr=1-1

looks like new edition out next year with foreword by Mark Cocker.

all these fall into the category of wildlife watching but they are autobiographical not fiction novels.

 

[Monahawk]

I can second TheSeagull's recommendation of "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico. It's a gentle novel. Nothing earth shattering but an easy read and full of a love for wildlife/birds.

I read The Peregrin by J.A. Baker. It's a desolate read which makes much more sense if you've read the preface by Robert Macfarlane. It's essentially about one man and his observations of Peregrins. I'm not sure it's one you can say you 'enjoyed' but it certainly conveys something of the cold, harsh reality of survival in the wild.

Hobbes

I read this recently,[ forgot to add this to the list]. It is as Hobbes2 says a desolate read but a fascinating one all the same. The writer was definately a loner.

Two more for the list.
On the Wing by Alan Tennant. Another Peregrine quest story, this time in the USA. Quite brilliant and wacky at times.

Crow Country by Mark Cocker.

 

[Apodemus]

If you enjoyed Tarka the Otter, you would probably enjoy this 1944 classic too:

"Wild Lone: The Story of a Pytchley Fox" by BB

 

[Farnboro John]

If you enjoyed Tarka the Otter, you should try some other Henry Williamson titles, also set around the Two Rivers in North Devon: Salar the Salmon is probably the best but Bloody Bill Brock is good as is his Peregrine book the title of which escapes me for a minute. As well as finding superb descriptions of wildlife, countryside and an older age you will get a feel for how far we have come in protecting our wildlife. Be warned: words are not minced concerning otter-hunting, badger-baiting and raptor persecution.

I also echo the Kipling recommendation, The Jungle Books remain one of my favourite reads and every time I go back through them I find more depth or more connection to my own observation of wildlife.

Finally, Jim Corbett's two volumes Maneaters of Kumaon and (imaginatively) More Maneaters of Kumaon are masterpieces of fieldcraft and sensitivity to place and wildlife, and are both exciting and readable. I wish I knew where my copies have gone!

John

 

[Apodemus]

That would be "The Peregrine's saga".
I completely endorse those other Williamson titles. Salar was my own favourite.

 

[TheSeagull]

I'm already a member of the "Tomkies cult" :-O Thanks for the suggestions, The Peregrine especially looks good.

 

[birdboybowley]

William Horwood's "The Stonor Eagles" is a good read.

Yeah it was actually, picked it up in Thailand when I was travelling and loved it. The Duncton Wood series of books are quite good too

 

[Melanie]

Gavin Maxwell: Ring of Bright Water

 

[markgrubb]

2 Scottish ones for you

Red Sky At Night-by John Barrington. A superb simple account of a Scottish shepherd's year along with his observations of the natural world-beautifullly told

Awakenings-Kathleen Jamie

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold.

 

[fugl]

The Goshawk by T. H. White. Not a novel but an account of White’s attempt to train a goshawk in the 1930s. A very good book.

 

[Farnboro John]

Gavin Maxwell: Ring of Bright Water

Its a bit of a wrist-slasher in parts though, isn't it? Maxwell obviously struggled with depression from time to time.

And I can't watch the film. I had screaming nightmares for three weeks the only time I did. Poor Mij.

John

 

[rockfowl]

Duncton Wood by William Horwood - You'll never think of Moles the same way.

The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch - Bit of a corker.

The Birds of Heaven by Peter Matthiessen - Travels in search of the world's cranes, superb!