A History of Birds by Simon Wills

A History of Birds by Simon Wills

Even the most well-informed wildlife enthusiast will be entertained by the stories and fascinating facts in the beautifully illustrated book. Our ancestors hunted, tamed, worshipped and depicted birds, and even bestowed magical properties upon them. Why did ancient writers consider the sparrow a lustful creature? Which bird was killed and hung up to predict the weather? And what was an 'arse-foot'? Wildlife photographer and history journalist Simon Wills explores the intriguing and at times bizarre stories behind our relationship with birds. Find out why robins feature on Christmas cards, and how Mozart was persuaded to keep a pet starling. What bird did Florence Nightingale carry around in her pocket? How did the blue tit get its name? Whole careers have been created around birds - from falconers to ostrich farmers - and birds have had great symbolic importance too. Discover, for example, why Raleigh bicycles carry a heron logo and why church lectems are in the shape of an eagle. If you enjoy wildlife, then this book is full of surprises. Pigeons were trained to carry messages in wartime, but could gulls be taught to hunt U-boats? And which American president's parrot started swearing at his funeral?

Simon Wills is a history journalist and genealogist who writes regularly for magazines such as _Your Family History_ and _Family Tree_. He has appeared in the TV programme _Who Do You Think You Are?_ and contributes to the magazine and annual live show of the same name. He is also a dedicated wildlife photographer, and all the photographs in this book were taken by him.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781526701558
ISBN 10	1526701553
Title	A History of Birds
Author	Simon Wills
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2017-11-08
Number of pages	180
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.