When There Were Birds: The forgotten history of our connections

Roy Adkins, Lesley Adkins

6 Reviews

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British & Irish history, Social & cultural history, Folklore, myths & legends, Wildlife: birds & birdwatching, The Earth: natural history general

Imprint

Abacus
- Paperback May 23, 2023 | 9780349144474 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Feb 22, 2022 | 9781408713570 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Mar 24, 2022 | 9781405555029 | RRP $35.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 11, 2021 | 9781408713563 | RRP $19.99 Buy Now
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Imprint

Little, Brown
- Paperback May 23, 2023 | 9780349144474 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Feb 22, 2022 | 9781408713570 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Mar 24, 2022 | 9781405555029 | RRP $35.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 11, 2021 | 9781408713563 | RRP $19.99 Buy Now
Play Sample
0:00
Imprint

Little, Brown Audio
- Paperback May 23, 2023 | 9780349144474 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Feb 22, 2022 | 9781408713570 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Mar 24, 2022 | 9781405555029 | RRP $35.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 11, 2021 | 9781408713563 | RRP $19.99 Buy Now
Play Sample
0:00
Imprint

Little, Brown
- Paperback May 23, 2023 | 9780349144474 | RRP $26.99 Buy Now
- Hardback Feb 22, 2022 | 9781408713570 | RRP $59.99 Buy Now
- Audiobook Mar 24, 2022 | 9781405555029 | RRP $35.99 Buy Now
- e-Book Nov 11, 2021 | 9781408713563 | RRP $19.99 Buy Now
Play Sample
0:00

A landmark book that charts humanity's changing relationship with birds - from the ancient Egyptians to the 21st century.

A landmark book that charts humanity's changing relationship with birds - from the ancient Egyptians to the twenty-first century

'A marvellously original slice of social history' Daily Mail

'The facts and folklore of birdlife are dissected in admirable detail in this handsome book' Sunday Times

'Roy and Lesley Adkins are masters of their craft' BBC Countryfile Magazine

No other group of animals has had such a complex and lengthy relationship with humankind as birds. They have been kept in cages as pets, taught to speak and displayed as trophies. More practically, they have been used to tell the time, predict the weather, foretell marriages, provide unlikely cures for ailments, convey messages and warn of poisonous gases.

When There Were Birds is a social history of Britain that charts the complex connections between people and birds, set against a background of changes in the landscape and evolving tastes, beliefs and behaviours. It draws together many disparate, forgotten strands to present a story that is an intriguing and unexpectedly significant part of our heritage.

Praise for When There Were Birds: The forgotten history of our connections

When There Were Birds is a marvellously original slice of social history, a portrait of our ever-conflicted relationship with the natural world which we so abuse and which we cannot live without; a book beautifully balanced between wonder and warning - Daily Mail (Book of the Week)
A wonderful book. . . the perfect gift for Christmas this year for a bird lover. . . In fact, no, bird lovers are fine, buy it for someone that hates birds and see if you can turn them round - Times Radio
This book is. . . not only a fascinating browse of all sorts of stories about the past, but it's a real revelation actually. . . it's really going to encourage you to think about birds and the part they played historically and culturally
An appealing social history of Britain that charts the relationship between people and birds [with] a lot of quirky information - The Independent
The book is absolutely packed with wonderful stories. You've really researched it to pieces. . . I hope that this book inspires and galvanises those that want to protect birds - BBC Radio Bristol
The facts and folklore of birdlife, and man's equivocal relationship with birds, are dissected in admirable detail in this handsome new book ... [with] striking revelations - Sunday Times

Roy Adkins

Roy and Lesley Adkins are husband-and-wife authors of widely acclaimed books on naval history, archaeology and social history, which have been translated into seventeen languages. They include Jack Tar, Trafalgar, Gibraltar, The War for All the Oceans, The Keys of Egypt, The Handbook of British Archaeology, Empires of the Plain, Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome, Dictionary of Roman Religion, and Eavesdropping on Jane Austen's England. They are Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Fellows of the Royal Historical Society and Members of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. They live in Devon.