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Black Ops and Beaver Bombing: Adventures with Britain's Wild Mammals
Countryfile's best nature and wildlife books for 2023 Shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize
'Elegiac, informative and funny; some truly magical encounters in the wild' - Peter Fiennes
Britain is teeming with wildlife, often in the most unexpected places. There are stone mines where bats hang out with pot-smoking teenagers and water voles thrive without water in Glaswegian parklands. Our coastlines are laden with seals. That’s the good news. The bad news is that a quarter of British mammals are at imminent risk of extinction. Tim Kendall and Fiona Mathews take us on a safari unlike any other. Armed with binoculars, a Thermos and, regrettably, an inexhaustible supply of puns, they travel from Scotland to the Isles of Scilly in search of their elusive subjects. You’ll find answers to questions you never thought to do pine marten droppings really smell like Parma Violets? Should we give squirrels access to family planning? And what do wild boar have in common with a certain royal? Black Ops and Beaver Bombing is a celebration of Britain’s marvellous mammals, and a rallying cry to save them.
'Elegiac, informative and funny; some truly magical encounters in the wild' - Peter Fiennes
Britain is teeming with wildlife, often in the most unexpected places. There are stone mines where bats hang out with pot-smoking teenagers and water voles thrive without water in Glaswegian parklands. Our coastlines are laden with seals. That’s the good news. The bad news is that a quarter of British mammals are at imminent risk of extinction. Tim Kendall and Fiona Mathews take us on a safari unlike any other. Armed with binoculars, a Thermos and, regrettably, an inexhaustible supply of puns, they travel from Scotland to the Isles of Scilly in search of their elusive subjects. You’ll find answers to questions you never thought to do pine marten droppings really smell like Parma Violets? Should we give squirrels access to family planning? And what do wild boar have in common with a certain royal? Black Ops and Beaver Bombing is a celebration of Britain’s marvellous mammals, and a rallying cry to save them.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 19, 2025
Loved this book so much. Beautiful mix of facts, personal anecdote and more in-depth information on the ecology and conservation of British mammals
Also Fiona and Tim seem like utterly charming people
Also Fiona and Tim seem like utterly charming people
May 29, 2025
Fascinating examination of British mammals and the efforts (and barriers) to protect them.
This was well written, full of dry humour and a healthy dose of irony.
This was well written, full of dry humour and a healthy dose of irony.
February 16, 2024
I feel a bit of a killjoy as the first person to write a review and not give this five stars, sorry about that.
It's a very well written book and I learned a lot from it. As others have said it was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize and I went to the awards in Kendal last year, where Fiona and Tim spoke about their book and it sounded like a great read which to a large extent it is.
Ultimately I don't think this is a five star book because it's just too uneven in tone. Calling it 'Black Ops & Beaver Bombing' and suggesting it's 'a safari with an inexhaustible supply of puns' creates expectations that probably aren't deliverable in a factual account of mankind and British mammals. The safari leg to look for Scottish wildcats doesn't happen because there's no point, the species is extinct or functionally extinct.
Passages like:
'There are only two possibilities here: the NFU believes what it is saying because it's clueless, or it's indulging in brazenly Trumpist denials of reality in order to confuse the public and scare it into compliance. If so, it's emboldened to do so because it finds unfailing support from those pop-up politicians who make a career out of pandering to the most reactionary elements of the farming industry.'
may need saying but it's not jaunty and comic.
If you want a good readable book about the state of play with Britain's mammals it's certainly that though.
It's a very well written book and I learned a lot from it. As others have said it was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize and I went to the awards in Kendal last year, where Fiona and Tim spoke about their book and it sounded like a great read which to a large extent it is.
Ultimately I don't think this is a five star book because it's just too uneven in tone. Calling it 'Black Ops & Beaver Bombing' and suggesting it's 'a safari with an inexhaustible supply of puns' creates expectations that probably aren't deliverable in a factual account of mankind and British mammals. The safari leg to look for Scottish wildcats doesn't happen because there's no point, the species is extinct or functionally extinct.
Passages like:
'There are only two possibilities here: the NFU believes what it is saying because it's clueless, or it's indulging in brazenly Trumpist denials of reality in order to confuse the public and scare it into compliance. If so, it's emboldened to do so because it finds unfailing support from those pop-up politicians who make a career out of pandering to the most reactionary elements of the farming industry.'
may need saying but it's not jaunty and comic.
If you want a good readable book about the state of play with Britain's mammals it's certainly that though.
February 12, 2024
This book was a Christmas present from my daughter, who admiitted that she'd gone 'off piste' when buying it. However, it turned out to be an excellent choice because I loved it!
A safari by Fiona Mathews and her husband Tim Kendall around the British Isles in search of a number of British mammals, the book was engaging, informative and funny by turns - the description of how hedgehogs conduct their love lives was hilarious. The book was also very thought provoking, and a lot of the time it made me feel incredibly sad and also angry at the way we have neglected many of the animals who call Britain their home, bringing them to the brink of extinction - sometimes by the very organisations who ostensibly exist to protect wildlife. A book co-written by a Professor of Environmental Biology (Fiona) will inevitably include some science, but even for a lay person like myself it was very accessible.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who has even a passing interest in natural history, and I suspect that even people who have perhaps never given much thought to our wildlife would enjoy it.
A safari by Fiona Mathews and her husband Tim Kendall around the British Isles in search of a number of British mammals, the book was engaging, informative and funny by turns - the description of how hedgehogs conduct their love lives was hilarious. The book was also very thought provoking, and a lot of the time it made me feel incredibly sad and also angry at the way we have neglected many of the animals who call Britain their home, bringing them to the brink of extinction - sometimes by the very organisations who ostensibly exist to protect wildlife. A book co-written by a Professor of Environmental Biology (Fiona) will inevitably include some science, but even for a lay person like myself it was very accessible.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who has even a passing interest in natural history, and I suspect that even people who have perhaps never given much thought to our wildlife would enjoy it.
August 25, 2023
This book recently made it to the shortlist for the Wainwright Prize, and I'm not surprised.
It's both hugely entertaining and highly enlightening. I have a bit of scientific training, but little enough that I still consider myself more of a layperson. I found 'Black Ops...' to be pitched well, with plenty of fresh new trivia to intrigue a veteran nature-reader like me, and to hopefully fascinate readers less familiar with the animals and topics covered within.
A particular favourite was the chapter on water voles, and the tale of the black water voles of Glasgow. Books by scientists that bring in accounts of their fieldwork have a lovely spark to them; 'Black Ops' is no different. Yet the authors Mathews and Kendall also show a shrewd ability to interrogate British attitudes towards wildlife and the ways we manage them, including the (to put it kindly) "quirky" legislation that exists around species like wild boar.
Very much recommended!
It's both hugely entertaining and highly enlightening. I have a bit of scientific training, but little enough that I still consider myself more of a layperson. I found 'Black Ops...' to be pitched well, with plenty of fresh new trivia to intrigue a veteran nature-reader like me, and to hopefully fascinate readers less familiar with the animals and topics covered within.
A particular favourite was the chapter on water voles, and the tale of the black water voles of Glasgow. Books by scientists that bring in accounts of their fieldwork have a lovely spark to them; 'Black Ops' is no different. Yet the authors Mathews and Kendall also show a shrewd ability to interrogate British attitudes towards wildlife and the ways we manage them, including the (to put it kindly) "quirky" legislation that exists around species like wild boar.
Very much recommended!
April 28, 2024
4.5* A funny, insightful study of British biodiversity. Full of facts and puns for the newbie, coupled with Fiona's wealth of scientific research & action for the more seasoned reader. I learned so much in this book. It is definitely geared more towards a science reader like me (not much of a nonfiction reader but interested in the topic broadly). The book does brilliantly break down the complexity of the ecosystem and the challenges that scientists, governments and local organisations face in repairing the harms done to it. There are stories of success and failure that leave the reader feeling like there's so much to do. Thankfully, Fiona and her peers are out there doing it - and they need public support and engagement.
February 10, 2024
The backdrop of biodiversity loss in the UK is depressing but this wonderful book by Fiona Mathews and Tim Kendall shows that all is not lost and that some battles can still be won.
Solid science underpins the book but the writing style is playful, engaging and entertaining. One trip to see red squirrels describes the authors getting to the location:
‘We were battling through the half-term traffic; we’d timed our journey to Formby with impeccably poor judgement. As if things weren’t bad enough already, this gave Tim ample opportunity to run through his extensive repertoire of George Formby songs, accompanied by air-ukulele.’
Highly recommended.
Solid science underpins the book but the writing style is playful, engaging and entertaining. One trip to see red squirrels describes the authors getting to the location:
‘We were battling through the half-term traffic; we’d timed our journey to Formby with impeccably poor judgement. As if things weren’t bad enough already, this gave Tim ample opportunity to run through his extensive repertoire of George Formby songs, accompanied by air-ukulele.’
Highly recommended.
July 25, 2023
Tremendously entertaining, educational, and peppered with insights and observational humour, this is a great read and an unexpected pleasure.
Making the case for the animals covered, this books manages to be light-hearted, yet also hard-hitting in its messages - poking fun at the establishment and the authors themselves, I learned so much and their passion for the subject matter shines brightly.
A cracking, and hugely enjoyable read.
Making the case for the animals covered, this books manages to be light-hearted, yet also hard-hitting in its messages - poking fun at the establishment and the authors themselves, I learned so much and their passion for the subject matter shines brightly.
A cracking, and hugely enjoyable read.
January 28, 2025
Enjoyable read about Britain's mammals, from beavers to gray seals and everywhere in between. Matthews and Kendall combine excellent wit with startling facts and explanations of government shortcomings in protecting these mammals. A great read with each chapter detailing a specific animal, combining facts, personal experience and stories. Hopefully the beaver bombings continue until stream quality improves!
September 3, 2024
Entertaining and informative insight into the state of British mammals. Feeling very privileged to have spotted red squirrels and pine martens in the wild when the authors did not manage to. Fascinating insight into ecological field work littered with fun facts and enjoyable puns.
December 24, 2024
Very entertaining and written with a real love for so many of our British mammals. A real insight into how the sausage is made in terms of conservation, by some animals are afforded protection, and what that protection varies so widely.
April 4, 2026
Brilliantly entertaining and informative about Britain's key mammal species and utterly depressing on how populations have been decimated, mostly due to intense agriculture and intractable landowners and the NFU. Read and learn.
June 21, 2023
God I loved this book, probably my favourite of the year, if not top 10 of all time
November 7, 2024
So well informed, eye opening, delivered with humour easy to read expose.
April 16, 2025
A detailed, informative and light-hearted race around some of Britain's best known mammals by two people very much qualified to write the story.
May 30, 2025
3-1/2 stars rounded up.
August 16, 2025
Brilliant. Highly informative, plenty of humour and a book I just could not put down! A really enjoyable read that was brilliantly written.
September 25, 2025
Fiona and Tim come to what can be quite a worrying topic with a lot of fun. It's good to read, realistic and comes from a whole lot of care.
September 30, 2025
Hilarious and informative, I loved every chapter of this!
February 19, 2026
An interesting collection of tales of wildlife loss and reintroduction throughout the UK. This is an informative read for ecologists and a nice addition to their library.
March 20, 2025
Really excellent account of the state of British mammals, with fantastic attention to detail, timely reviews of the current science for each species tackled, and lots of humour too. Ultimately, the book asks: do we really want to live in such a denuded blandscape?
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews