Books

Gold Thrush

A fascinating collection that contains description, whimsy, revelation, mystery, history, humour, facts, fiction, beauty and more; yet manages to be a homogenous whole.

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Gold Thrush
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You do not need to be a dyed-in-the-wool bird lover to appreciate this volume. There is something for everyone, including even those with no interest in watching birds, such as the delightful piece by Zai Whitaker on "survival among birdwatchers".

There are wonderful historical pieces ranging from the Babarnama and Jahangirnama through the 19th and 20th century—largely British—writers, such as Jerdon, Hume, Eha and Bates, to our incomparable Salim Ali, even present day "history" such as the shockingly opulent falcon hunting of houbara described by Mary Anne Weaver. Connecting threads run through these and crisscross with many others.

In addition to Urfi’s helpful short biographies on each author, there are absorbing and amusing insights of the writers from their contemporaries. The reader of course gains even more insights into the characters of birds; the wide range of perspective adds understanding to their ecology and conservation. The details and the sheer enjoyment that seeps through the prose spurs the reader on.

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I only wish there were an index.

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