Want to know what books Jonathan Elphick recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Jonathan Elphick's favorite book recommendations of all time.
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For thousands of years people have been fascinated by birds, and today that fascination is still growing. In 2007 bird-watching is one of the most popular pastimes, not just in America, but throughout the world, and the range of interest runs from the specialist to the beginner.
In The Wisdom of Birds, Birkhead takes the reader on a journey that not only tells us about the extraordinary lives of birds - from conception and egg, through territory and song, to migration and fully fledged breeder - but also shows how, over centuries, we have overcome superstition and untested... more For thousands of years people have been fascinated by birds, and today that fascination is still growing. In 2007 bird-watching is one of the most popular pastimes, not just in America, but throughout the world, and the range of interest runs from the specialist to the beginner.
In The Wisdom of Birds, Birkhead takes the reader on a journey that not only tells us about the extraordinary lives of birds - from conception and egg, through territory and song, to migration and fully fledged breeder - but also shows how, over centuries, we have overcome superstition and untested 'truths' to know what we know, and how recent some of that knowledge is.
Conceived for a general audience, and illustrated throughout with more than 100 exquisitely beautiful illustrations, many of them rarely, if ever, seen before, The Wisdom of Birds is a book full of stories, knowledge and unexpected revelations. less 
Jonathan ElphickThis could have been called The Wonder of Birds. The author, Tim Birkhead, is a brilliant academic, a professor at Sheffield University where he teaches animal behavioural and the history of science, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is exceptionally gifted at conveying often complex scientific ideas very elegantly, succinctly and excitingly. In a very busy life, writing this book took him... (Source)
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2
What draws us to the beauty of a peacock, the flight of an eagle, or the song of a nightingale? Why are birds so significant in our lives and our sense of the world? And what do our ways of thinking about and experiencing birds tell us about ourselves? Birdscapes is a unique meditation on the variety of human responses to birds, from antiquity to today, and from casual observers to the globe-trotting twitchers who sometimes risk life, limb, and marriages simply to add new species to their life lists.
Drawing extensively on literature, history, philosophy, and science, Jeremy... more What draws us to the beauty of a peacock, the flight of an eagle, or the song of a nightingale? Why are birds so significant in our lives and our sense of the world? And what do our ways of thinking about and experiencing birds tell us about ourselves? Birdscapes is a unique meditation on the variety of human responses to birds, from antiquity to today, and from casual observers to the globe-trotting twitchers who sometimes risk life, limb, and marriages simply to add new species to their life lists.
Drawing extensively on literature, history, philosophy, and science, Jeremy Mynott puts his own experiences as a birdwatcher in a rich cultural context. His sources range from the familiar--Thoreau, Keats, Darwin, and Audubon--to the unexpected--Benjamin Franklin, Giacomo Puccini, Oscar Wilde, and Monty Python. Just as unusual are the extensive illustrations, which explore our perceptions and representations of birds through images such as national emblems, women's hats, professional sports logos, and a Christmas biscuit tin, as well as classics of bird art. Each chapter takes up a new theme--from rarity, beauty, and sound to conservation, naming, and symbolism--and is set in a new place, as Mynott travels from his home patch in Suffolk, England, to his away patch in New York City's Central Park, as well as to Russia, Australia, and Greece.
Conversational, playful, and witty, Birdscapes gently leads us to reflect on large questions about our relation to birds and the natural world. It encourages birders to see their pursuits in a broader human context--and it shows nonbirders what they may be missing.
-- "10,000 Birds" less Jonathan ElphickJeremy is a classicist but has always been interested in birds and he distilled his thinking about birds to produce this wonderful book. He explores the myriad reasons why people are so engaged with birds. It’s like walking with a very erudite but very passionate and interesting man, strolling through lots of different landscapes. He starts the book in Russia, then Suffolk, the Scilly Isles and... (Source)
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3
Mark Cocker, Richard Mabey | 4.70
The British love their birds, which are inextricably entwined with every aspect of their island life. British customs, more than 1,000 years of English literature, the very fabric of society, even the landscape itself, have all been enhanced by the presence of birds. Now, at last, here is a book which pays tribute to the remarkable relationship forged between a nation and its most treasured national heritage.
Birds Britannica is neither an identification guide nor a behavioural study (though both these subjects enter its field), it concentrates on our social history and on... more The British love their birds, which are inextricably entwined with every aspect of their island life. British customs, more than 1,000 years of English literature, the very fabric of society, even the landscape itself, have all been enhanced by the presence of birds. Now, at last, here is a book which pays tribute to the remarkable relationship forged between a nation and its most treasured national heritage.
Birds Britannica is neither an identification guide nor a behavioural study (though both these subjects enter its field), it concentrates on our social history and on the cultural links between humans and birds. It includes observations and experiences from more than 1,000 naturalists and bird lovers. These contributions from the public touch on aviation ecology; the lore and language of birds; their myths, the art and literature they have inspired; birds as food; and the crucial role they play in our sense of place and the changing seasons.
The book has taken eight years to research and write, and has been assembled by a team which includes some of the finest writers and image-makers of British wildlife. On one level, it is a remarkable collection of humorous stories, field observations and tales of joy, wonder and occasional woe; on another, it is a nationwide chronicle. Scholarly and wide-ranging, a mix of the traditional and the contemporary, Birds Britannica is a comprehensive record of birdlife in the early years of the twenty-first century. less 
Jeremy MynottIt’s an encyclopedic work and it’s arranged on a taxonomic basis, so it treats each bird both as part of a family and individually. (Source)
Jonathan ElphickIt’s primarily about our interactions with birds, from shooting and eating them, to celebrating them in various ways, including art and poetry. (Source)
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4
Robert Gillmor, Charles Tunnicliffe RA | 4.10
Jonathan ElphickCharles Tunnicliffe was very important for me personally. He was a farmer’s son from Cheshire who had a huge talent for art and went to the Royal College. He was one of our greatest wood engravers and he first of all got commissioned by pet food people, like Bob Martin’s dog foods, and did lots of farm animal drawings. His draftsmanship of anything to do with the country and domestic and farm... (Source)
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5
"The Peregrine, " which won the Duff Cooper Prize in 1967, recounts a single year from the author's ten-year obsession with the peregrines that wintered near his home in eastern England. The writing is lyrically charged throughout, as the author's role of diligent observer gives way to a personal transformation, as Baker becomes, in the words of James Dickey, "a fusion of man and bird." more "The Peregrine, " which won the Duff Cooper Prize in 1967, recounts a single year from the author's ten-year obsession with the peregrines that wintered near his home in eastern England. The writing is lyrically charged throughout, as the author's role of diligent observer gives way to a personal transformation, as Baker becomes, in the words of James Dickey, "a fusion of man and bird." less Jonathan ElphickHe was unusual in that he didn’t drive, despite working for the AA, so he cycled and walked around, immersed in the landscape. He went out in all weathers and at all times – before dawn, late in the day and even at night – and he wrote in this incredibly lyrical way about wildlife and landscape. His descriptions of birds are searingly beautiful and also accurate, they just fly off the page. They... (Source)
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