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149th out of 249 books
—
144 voters
The Bedside Book of Birds: An Avian Miscellany
In this stunning assemblage of words and images, novelist and avid birdwatcher Graeme Gibson has crafted an extraordinary tribute to the venerable relationship between humans and birds.
Birds have ever been the symbols of our highest aspirations. As divine messengers, symbols of our yearning for the heavens, or avatars of glorious song and colour, they have stirred our imag...more
Birds have ever been the symbols of our highest aspirations. As divine messengers, symbols of our yearning for the heavens, or avatars of glorious song and colour, they have stirred our imag...more
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
October 25th 2005
by Nan A. Talese
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This book is a collection of stories, mythology, poems and illustrations all about ... birds. Some were entertaining; some were sad in describing man's cruelty to these creatures, the closest to angels on earth. I was shocked to learn that James Audubon killed thousands of birds in order to get just the right poses for his drawings! This was before photography and high-resolution binoculars provided a more-humane method.
Other entries were too long or not of interest to me so I did not feel guilt...more
Other entries were too long or not of interest to me so I did not feel guilt...more
I love this book, tidbits of bird trivia mixed richly with myths from every corner of the globe. Birds and myths, what more could I desire? However I never seem to be able to finish this one when I get it from the library. It sprouts scrappy bookmarks like mushrooms after the rain marking quotes to record, images to track down and books to add to the ever growing stack.
One of the rewards of birdwatching is the brief escape it affords from our ancient and compelling need to make Nature useful. Th...more
One of the rewards of birdwatching is the brief escape it affords from our ancient and compelling need to make Nature useful. Th...more
This book is meant to be read in snippets, all cozied up in bed each night, per its name, so I have to confess that cover-to-cover does not work quite so well. Suddenly, a whole section on how humans kill, eat, and use birds for their own purposes becomes incredibly depressing when read all in one go. In fact, the book as a whole focuses primarily on humanity's relationship with birds, not simply birds themselves. It's a key distinction, and ultimately I found myself wishing the book offered mor...more
A beautiful book with wonderful illustrations from all aspects of the art world. The stories, poems and essays, however, seemed to deal mostly with the extermination of birds - not much on enjoying and preserving their beauty. Maybe because animal rights and appreciation of the species is a relatively new thing and most of continents of this book were gathered from history rather than present day.
Husband of Margaret Atwood (didn't realize this until I had finished all of the stories!) Yes, this book is sad, but the extermination of birds is real and happens all too often. I think it is a very brilliant collection of stories and artwork. Being aware isn't always cheery. I found it inspiring to learn more about the birds among us now...
Random stories and poems about birds. ..with pretty pictures. I don't have much of an attention span for the poems, but there are some pretty interesting folklore concerning birds in here, and just little anecdotes, and it's fascinating to see how birds have played a role in the collective human subconscious.
..Can you tell I like birds? :)
..Can you tell I like birds? :)
This book is gorgeous. When I get around to it, I will purchase a second copy to dissect for its art. Gibson covers the bird as inspiration for writing, art, travel, study...across centuries. The publishing job is fantastic. The weight of the paper, colors and typeface are all as gorgeous as the images and writing he selected.
A delightful anthology of writings related to birds, even if tangentially. Gibson groups the material in nine topics (or "kingdoms" from birds in myths to birds as sources of danger. Definitely for the reader with a taste for beautiful language, and even of interest to serious birders.
A beautifully designed and illustrated book on a subject I never knew I cared about until I stumbled upon it. Bought it together with its companion, "The Bedside Book of Beasts," and I can't wait to start that one next.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I borrowed it from the library to consider purchasing it for my own bird book collection. I love books and bird books. However, I ended up not being able to read this book (which is why there are no stars).
It is a collection of readings about birds, so I skimmed through, reading some of them, but there were too many sad passages about birds slaughtered by the thousands and one awful story about a bird being plucked alive (by a Saint, no less). I enjoyed...more
It is a collection of readings about birds, so I skimmed through, reading some of them, but there were too many sad passages about birds slaughtered by the thousands and one awful story about a bird being plucked alive (by a Saint, no less). I enjoyed...more
It looks awesome, can't wait to read it! Birds and bedside reading, two of my favorite things!
Oct 18, 2008
drozda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
bird and art lovers
Recommended to drozda by:
s. fiori
this spendid and magnificently illustrated collection has kept me captivated for months now....and actually inspired me to begin a new series of paintings based upon my decades as an avid bird watcher. some evenings i just browse the rich color plates and other evenings i read a story or two...always calms me by providing yet another glimpse into the winged ones ways of natural rhythms plus i so enjoy the tremendously diverse writing styles and as mentioned... the art throughout.
1 like · like · see review
Excellent assemblage of poems, prose snippets, and (especially) pictures of birds collected by the author. Some minor quibbles: The little intros by the author weren't necessary; the division of the book into themes detracts from the ability to just randomly pick a page and start reading; and there should've been some identification as to whether a prose snippet was from a fiction or non-fiction work. Other than that, very well done.
This book, though nice-looking, was not what I expected, and I ended up not liking it very much. I thought the illustrations, especially the photos of ancient bird art, were the best part of the book. The author's selection of written entries about birds tended heavily toward negative and dastardly encounters with them. I guess anyone whose favorite movie was Hitchcock's "The Birds" would love this book.
A beautiful anthology with wonderful illustrations.
I really enjoyed this. It's full of interesting texts from all over the world and beautiful artwork, and the groupings of the texts flow well one to the next. I appreciated the last section being full of texts about hope.
This book is wonderfully illustrated and is not a stuffy birdwatchers guide. The book is full of imaginative stories revolving around birds and the types of representation we afford them.
this is seriously nursing my long standing obsession with orinthology. maybe if i wasn't so terrible at stupid science it could of been my life's work.
Gorgeous book. The illustrations are fantastic. The Miscellany of the title I find is also the downfall, too much going on for a higher rating.
bird folklore and beautiful pictures. forever picking this book up to read little snippets and look at the strange art.
A charming bedside book, filled with beautiful illustrations, interesting facts and whimsical anecdotes about birds.
Feb 06, 2008
Sabrina
marked it as to-read
I haven't read this book yet, but I really enjoy the pictures. I have a small obsession with birds though.
The absolute best thing about this book is the beautiful pictures. They are gorgeous!
Apr 23, 2007
MaryWeatherwell
marked it as to-read
You know, four of my top five favorite animals are birds...
My mom bought me this because she rules
Mar 08, 2011
Kim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who enjoy ornithology
Recommended to Kim by:
No one
A great read for the avian lover.
this truly is a beautiful book.
Sep 24, 2007
Amy
marked it as to-read
Recommended by Joyce
Beautiful book. Gorgeous illustrations plus short stories, legends, poems and snippets of interesting information about birds.
beautiful
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Sep 04, 2009 03:42pm