The Secret Life of the Owl: a beautifully illustrated and lyrical celebration of this mythical creature...

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John Lewis-Stempel

The Secret Life of the Owl

a beautifully illustrated and lyrical celebration of this mythical creature from bestselling...

John Lewis-Stempel

$33.95

Hardback

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QTY:

English

Doubleday
15 November 2017

Folklore, myths & legends; Mathematics & Sciences; Wildlife: birds & birdwatching

A beautifully illustrated and lyrical celebration of this mythical creature from the prize-winning author of

bestsellers The Running Hare, Meadowland and Where Poppies Blow.

The perfect gift for nature lovers - The Book of the Owl is a beautifully illustrated small format hardback exploring the legend and history of the owl.

A true celebration of this magnificent creature - its natural powers and its mythical glory.

Fans of Stephen Moss and Fiona Stafford will not be disappointed.

'In this short, beautiful little book, the farmer and nature writer introduces us to the wisdom of owls.. every question you might ask ... is answered with economy and insight and the cultural references and quotations are as rich as you would expect from this brilliant writer.' -- Daily Mail

'John Lewis-Stempel is one of the best nature writers of his generation' -- Country Life

'One of our finest nature writers with an essay length portrait of a bird that has fascinated humans for millennia.' -- Mail on Sunday

'An absolute pleasure to read' --
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'Hard to put down once opened, it is finished all too quickly' --
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'Dusk is filling the valley. It is the time of the gloaming, the owl-light.

Out in the wood, the resident tawny has started calling, Hoo-hoo-hoo-h-o-o-o.'

There is something about owls. They feature in every major culture from the Stone Age onwards. They are creatures of the night, and thus of magic. They are the birds of ill-tidings, the avian messengers from the Other Side.

But owls - with the sapient flatness of their faces, their big, round eyes, their paternal expressions - are also reassuringly familiar. We see them as wise, like Athena's owl, and loyal, like Harry Potter's Hedwig. Human-like, in other words.

No other species has so captivated us.

By: John Lewis-Stempel
Imprint: Doubleday
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 205mm, Width: 138mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 220g
ISBN: 9780857524560
ISBN 10: 0857524569
Pages: 96
Publication Date: 15 November 2017
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

John Lewis-Stempel is the author of The Wild Life, Meadowland, Where Poppies Grow, The Running Hare and The Secret Life of the Owl. He has twice won the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing, for Meadowland and Where Poppies Grow, and was shortlisted for The Running Hare, which was also shortlisted for the Independent Bookshop Week Book Award and the Richard Jefferies Society Award. He writes a column on nature and farming for Country Life and was the 2016 BSME Magazine Columnist of the Year. He lives on the borders of England and Wales with his wife and two children.

Reviews for The Secret Life of the Owl: a beautifully illustrated and lyrical celebration of this mythical creature from bestselling and prize-winning author John Lewis-Stempel

A charming essay...packed with facts and literary asides...Lewis-Stempel has a wonderful way with words...he also packs the book with the singing, ringing words of others. -- Robbie Millen * The Times * Best of the year's Natural History: one of our finest nature writers with an essay length portrait of a bird that has fascinated humans for millennia. * Mail on Sunday * John is one of this country's greatest nature writers...this is a unique look at the Owl's of Britain in both word and verse...some incredible facts... a wonderful little book for anyone who wants to know a little more of some of our most secret of birds and ones that should be celebrated. * The Last Word * In this short, beautiful little book, the farmer and nature writer introduces us to the wisdom of owls.. every question you might ask ... is answered with economy and insight and the cultural references and quotations are as rich as you would expect from this brilliant writer. -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *