Ten Birds That Changed the World

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In other chapters, the book illustrated how species including the bald eagle, the pigeon, and the turkey changed human habits and cultures.

Dodo, eagle, sparrow … the 10 birds that changed the world

Hachette Book Group is a leading book publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world. Social Media In Ten Birds That Changed the World, naturalist and author Stephen Moss tells the gripping story of this long and intimate relationship through key species from all seven of the world’s continents. From Odin’s faithful raven companions to Darwin’s finches, and from the wild turkey of the Americas to the emperor penguin as potent symbol of the climate crisis, this is a fascinating, eye-opening, and endlessly engaging work of natural history. At turns entertaining, fascinating, informative, and horrifying. Stephen Moss is a great storyteller. I didn't agree with everything he said, especially about the bald eagle, but it definitely got me thinking. Also new to me was Mao's Sparrow campaign--how did I never hear of that? For the whole of human history, we have lived alongside birds. We have hunted and domesticated them for food; venerated them in our mythologies, religion and rituals; exploited them for their natural resources; and been inspired by them for our music, art and poetry.Taking a numerical approach to the natural world – as in Simon Barnes’s History of the World in 100 Plants, for example – is a handy way to carve off a manageable slice from a potential plethora of examples. There are, for instance, nearly 10,000 bird species worldwide. In his new book, naturalist Stephen Moss wisely chooses just 10, but in doing so tells the story of the long relationship between birds and humanity – and it has mostly been a disastrous one.

Ten Birds That Changed the World : Stephen Moss Ten Birds That Changed the World : Stephen Moss

Moss] is an ideal guide to this in-depth look at 10 consequential species and the threats to their continued survival… The author’s thorough and well-argued book brings urgent attention to all the species that now face oblivion due to the global climate crisis… Take a fascinating flight into human history on the wings of 10 important bird species.”Eagles have always been associated with the strength of nations and empires, through their symbolic use in ancient Greece, Rome and other early civilisations. They also appear on more flags around the world than any other bird. But the Nazis changed both the direction of the eagle – making it face right – and its meaning: turning it into a symbol of totalitarianism. Tree sparrow

Ten Birds That Changed the World - D H H LITERARY AGENCY Ten Birds That Changed the World - D H H LITERARY AGENCY

This look at ten species is the writers' choice, and not all species are still in existence. The dodo is not; while it was eaten, he explains that the rats and pigs introduced by seafarers did away with most of the nests. Surprisingly he does not say that a tree native to Mauritius was dying out in recent years, its seeds refusing to germinate, until a botanist had the bright idea of feeding its seeds to domestic poultry to replace the dodo. The seeds passed through and germinated. Other birds endemic to the island were, fortunately, preserved and revived in numbers.About the Author Stephen Moss is one of Britain’s leading nature writers, broadcasters, and environmentalists. Author of over forty books and guides, he is an award-winning wildlife television producer for the BBC Natural History Unit. He lives in Somerset, England. For the whole of human history, we have lived alongside birds. We have hunted and domesticated them for food; venerated them in our mythologies, religion and rituals; exploited them for their natural resources; and been inspired by them for our music, art and poetry.In Ten Birds that Changed the World, naturalist and author Stephen Moss tells the gripping story of this long and eventful relationship through ten key species from all seven of the world’s continents. From Odin’s faithful raven companions to Darwin’s finches, and from the wild turkey of the Americas to the emperor penguin as potent symbol of the climate crisis, this is a fascinating, eye-opening and endlessly engaging work of natural history. Ten Birds That Changed the World by Stephen Moss – eBook Details I have reviewed several of Stephen Moss’s books here ( Tweet of the Day (with Brett Westwood) 2014; Natural Histories(with Brett Westwood) 2015; Wild Kingdom, 2016; The Twelve Birds of Christmas, 2019; The Accidental Countryside, 2020; The Swallow, 2021; Skylarks with Rosie, 2021) and enjoyed them all. They vary in depth and scope but are consistently well-written and provide reliable good reads. This latest book is, arguably, and that is what I would argue, the best of the lot.