07/31/2023
Nature writer Moss (The Swan) surveys in this penetrating history “the long and eventful relationship” between humanity and the avian kingdom by examining the behavior, morphology, and cultural significance of 10 birds that have “changed the course of human history”: bald eagles, Darwin’s finches, dodos, emperor penguins, guanay cormorants, pigeons, ravens, snowy egrets, tree sparrows, and wild turkeys. Considering the emperor penguin, he explains the bird’s distinctive breeding habits (males go for four months without food while incubating an egg) and warns that humans’ carbon emissions are melting the penguin’s breeding grounds and threatening their survival. Other entries also strike a cautionary tone, as when Moss underscores the “fragility of global ecosystems” by discussing how the dodo went extinct after humans introduced rats (which ate dodo eggs) to the bird’s previously predator-free home on Mauritius. Elsewhere, he explores how the 19th-century trade in cormorants’ droppings (guano) for use as fertilizer transformed European agriculture, and how Chinese ruler Mao Zedong’s attempts to eradicate tree sparrows, reviled for eating from seed and grain harvests at a time of famine, backfired after locusts flourished in the absence of their natural predator and decimated the country’s rice harvests in 1959. The blend of history and science highlights the deep connections between humans and the natural world, and the cultural insights enlighten (“One of the reasons eagles were originally chosen as symbols of power... was their wild nature and their unwillingness to be subservient to us humans”). This flies high. (Sept.)
09/01/2023
Prolific British nature writer/environmentalist/broadcaster/producer Moss (Dynasties: Painted Wolves) highlights 10 bird species that he says have changed human history. Noting each type of bird's relationship to people, the book says that many species around the world are in decline. Ravens are described as scavengers that are viewed as enigmatic messengers. Pigeons (doves) have long been domesticated for food and carrying messages or contraband; guano from cormorants was the first industrial-scale fertilizer. Intensive poultry rearing brings up the issue of avian suffering and abuse. The dodo of Mauritius has become an icon of extinction, killed off by the effects of European settlement; many other flightless bird species are endangered, but there are only belated human efforts to eradicate invasive rats and mice on that threaten them; the massacre of snowy egrets was the result of a fashion trend for plumage. Bald eagles were widely shot for being livestock predators, then decimated by DDT exposure. Today, melting sea ice poses a threat to emperor penguins, unless more people are willing to seriously counter climate change. Illustrated with engravings. VERDICT This well-crafted book expertly highlights global societies' treatment of birds, and it's not a flattering story.—David R. Conn
2023-06-20
An exploration of the deep and complex relationship between birds and human beings.
Moss, a British nature writer, broadcaster, and environmentalist who has written more than 40 books and field guides, is an ideal guide to this in-depth look at 10 consequential species and the threats to their continued survival. Spoiler alert: The world-changing birds are the raven, pigeon, wild turkey, dodo, Darwin's finch, guanay cormorant, snowy egret, bald eagle, tree sparrow, and emperor penguin. The contributions of some of these birds are immediately apparent—e.g., carrier pigeons could bring messages from the front lines of battles and wars, changing the course of the conflicts. The historical roles of other birds are more obscure. The snowy egret, prized for its long, feathery aigrettes, was driven to the brink of extinction by the plumage trade, but this led to the first bird protection laws. Moss is good at sorting out the myths from the realities of these birds' places in history. Darwin's finches, for example, were not actually the inspiration for his theory of evolution by natural selection but are still one of the best demonstrations of its veracity. The author also takes note of the prominent places these birds hold in mythology and literature, such as Poe's "The Raven,” but his larger theme is the threat of extinction that hovers over so many species today. As such, the centerpiece of his avian collection is the dodo, which has transitioned from a real bird to “the global icon of extinction." Its disappearance 300 years ago first suggested to the Western mind that a species could go extinct. The author’s thorough and well-argued book brings urgent attention to all the species that now face oblivion due to the global climate crisis. Heidaripour's illustrations complement the engaging, sobering analysis.
Take a fascinating flight into human history on the wings of 10 important bird species.
Shortlisted for the Wainwright Nature Prize——
“Mr. Moss is a captivating storyteller, whose crystal-clear prose offers handsome rewards, especially in those passages that rely on personal observation.”—Wall Street Journal
“A fascinating, eye-opening, and endlessly engaging work of natural history.”—The Daily Kos
"Moss digs deep and answers many questions within chapters that are rich with both natural and historical facts... Ten Birds That Changed the World is an engrossing tribute to our feathered neighbours."—Buzz Magazine (UK)
“This is a fascinating look at key moments in world history told through the lens of a different bird of the time for each one.”—BookRiot
“[Moss] is an ideal guide to this in-depth look at 10 consequential species and the threats to their continued survival… The author’s thorough and well-argued book brings urgent attention to all the species that now face oblivion due to the global climate crisis… Take a fascinating flight into human history on the wings of 10 important bird species.”—Kirkus
“[A] penetrating history…The blend of history and science highlights the deep connections between humans and the natural world, and the cultural insights enlighten….This flies high.”—Publishers Weekly
“This well-crafted book expertly highlights global societies’ treatment of birds.”—Library Journal
“Stephen Moss’s Ten Birds That Changed the World is a model of contemporary nature writing. Its blend of science, history, and the cultural significance we human animals attach to the other life around us had me riveted. When I closed this book, the emperor penguins I watch online, the eagles that soar my local river, the wild raven who’s befriended me—all these and more had taken on a depth of meaning and relevance I never quite grasped before.”—Dan Flores, New York Times–bestselling author of Coyote America
“There are thousands of bird species on earth, but with a very well-chosen ten, Moss provides a panoramic look at how the feathered ones have influenced human mythology, science, politics, and even self-understanding. These interconnections are as fraught as they are beautiful in this complex time of climate crisis when so many birds, after influencing our culture for so long, now depend on humans for the possibility of survival in an uncertain future. Moss is a knowledgeable and companionable guide throughout this riveting volume, which inspires a love of birdlife that is more essential than ever.”—Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Rooted
“Moss writes with the scope of a scholar and the confidence of a careful observer, finding fresh and fascinating insights into the lives and legacies of ten iconic birds. A thoughtful, thought-provoking, and thoroughly enjoyable book.”—Thor Hanson, author of Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid
“This is a journey into an extraordinary world—an outwardly familiar world, but one that has been shaped and contoured by birds in ways we can only begin to imagine. Through the stories of those birds, Moss shows us how our lives owe so much to them, and why we should care for their kind a little more.”—Jon Dunn, author of The Glitter in the Green
Despite its somewhat overly dramatic title, this audiobook offers insights and fascinating tidbits about a variety of birds and their roles in human history. From ravens--first mentioned in the Book of Genesis--to Darwin's finches and their role in theories of evolution to emperor penguins and their future in the face of climate change, birds are a key indicator of our planet's many changes. Author Stephen Moss offers a solid narration of his work. His British accent is easy on the ears, and he delivers the text at a good pace. He doesn't offer any false dramatics, but he does vary his tone occasionally, which makes listening more pleasurable. The audiobook is chock full of interesting information, and the lessons the birds teach us come across effectively. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
