A Bird in the Bush: A Social History of Birdwatching

Stephen Moss’s book is the first to trace the history and development of birdwatching on both sides of the Atlantic, from Gilbert White, the country parson who wrote The Natural History of Selborne in the 18th century, through the British servicemen who studied black redstarts from their German prisoner-of-war camp, to today’s driven “life-listers” and twisters who think nothing of hurtling the length of the UK by planes, automobiles, and even boats in pursuit of a Grey-Tailed Tattler temporarily landfallen in the Shetland Isles. Both authoritative and readable, A Bird in the Bush is directed at the general reader just as much as the dedicated birder.