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Dodo: A Brief History
"Dead as a dodo." We think not! The dodo may long be extinct, but its presence in our culture and hearts lives on.
Our knowledge of the dodo as an actual living creature may be limited, but in popular culture it is one of the best known creatures and rands with tigers, penguins, elephants, and dinosaurs as an animal that most children will recognize. Lewis Carroll's inclusion of the dodo in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and certainly Sir John Tenniel's infamous accompanying illustration of Alice and the dodo, forever elevated this curious bird to fantastical status. From cartoon characters to the very icon of extinction, the mythology surrounding the dodo has grown to universal celebrity.
From personal accounts from travelers to the Island of Mauritius, to the bird's prominence in literature and the arts, this droll presentation is the most comprehensive illustrated guide to an intriguing inhabitant of natural history and the arts.
Our knowledge of the dodo as an actual living creature may be limited, but in popular culture it is one of the best known creatures and rands with tigers, penguins, elephants, and dinosaurs as an animal that most children will recognize. Lewis Carroll's inclusion of the dodo in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and certainly Sir John Tenniel's infamous accompanying illustration of Alice and the dodo, forever elevated this curious bird to fantastical status. From cartoon characters to the very icon of extinction, the mythology surrounding the dodo has grown to universal celebrity.
From personal accounts from travelers to the Island of Mauritius, to the bird's prominence in literature and the arts, this droll presentation is the most comprehensive illustrated guide to an intriguing inhabitant of natural history and the arts.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
2 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Errol Fuller
16 books12 followersErrol Fuller is an English writer and artist who lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. He was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, grew up in South London, and was educated at Addey and Stanhope School. He is the author of a series of books on extinction and extinct creatures.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 2, 2022
You hear about the Dodo all the time...but I never knew the real story until I read this book. Sad lesson that we still have not learned; a lesson that will be repeated if we continue down the path we are on. One day a superior alien race may treat us like the Dodo - just fresh meat to roast till they get to the next planet.
February 17, 2021
All hail the sacred bird.
The Dodo is an incredible animal. It is (perhaps erroneously) equated with dim-wit and looks like a cartoon character. Flightless, isolated, and wonderful. It is the only bird I've ever heard referred to as "dummy thiccc."
Errol Fuller has done an outstanding job consolidating all things Dodo into one compendium. The organization from official records to myth to art and pop culture showcases the unusual impact this mascot of extinction has had on our species. Reading this book, I was amazed at how little objective information we actually know about this bird. Our discovery and rapid extermination of this species came in at the strange threshold of history where science was in its infancy. We understood and observed, but did not not have the foresight to preserve the world we sought so desperately to understand. Thus, the Dodo passed into legend - a legend well documented in this book.
If, like me, you enjoy history, the natural world, and the absolutely hilarious body shape of this special creature, I highly recommend this book.
The Dodo is an incredible animal. It is (perhaps erroneously) equated with dim-wit and looks like a cartoon character. Flightless, isolated, and wonderful. It is the only bird I've ever heard referred to as "dummy thiccc."
Errol Fuller has done an outstanding job consolidating all things Dodo into one compendium. The organization from official records to myth to art and pop culture showcases the unusual impact this mascot of extinction has had on our species. Reading this book, I was amazed at how little objective information we actually know about this bird. Our discovery and rapid extermination of this species came in at the strange threshold of history where science was in its infancy. We understood and observed, but did not not have the foresight to preserve the world we sought so desperately to understand. Thus, the Dodo passed into legend - a legend well documented in this book.
If, like me, you enjoy history, the natural world, and the absolutely hilarious body shape of this special creature, I highly recommend this book.
October 23, 2023
This is a coffee table book about Dodos (and Solitaires, but let’s be honest, nobody cares about Solitaires - they have not the star power of the Dodo and are only included so that some accounts thought to be about Dodos can be discounted as describing Solitaires). Lots of images, some seemingly just to fill out space (full page image of a king only connected by third degree to Dodos).
The book does a good job of summarizing the knowledge about dodos as it stands: account by account and image by image, thereafter giving an opinion on how much credence to give each piece of evidence.
It does repeat a debunked story about a stuffed Dodo specimen being carelessly destroyed in a bonfire, only one foot pulled out at the last minute. Other authors, Parish and Hume, say it is more likely to have been a planned culling of badly damaged specimens.
The book does a good job of summarizing the knowledge about dodos as it stands: account by account and image by image, thereafter giving an opinion on how much credence to give each piece of evidence.
It does repeat a debunked story about a stuffed Dodo specimen being carelessly destroyed in a bonfire, only one foot pulled out at the last minute. Other authors, Parish and Hume, say it is more likely to have been a planned culling of badly damaged specimens.
September 28, 2017
There were a Dodo who lived in the first island Mauritius, and dodo-like Solitary who lived on the second island Rodrigues. The third island from Mascarene, Reunion believed to have the Ibis which mistakinly thought that it is the white Dodo who lived in the third island
Dodo:dump
Solitary :because they go alone
Dodo:dump
Solitary :because they go alone
March 1, 2018
I loved this book. The art is fantastic.
March 3, 2021
An interesting little-ish book that at least deserves a quick browse for the art and format.
September 23, 2009
Lots of beautiful illustrations. Otherwise not much content.
May 28, 2011
Lots of pictures, not much in the way of content though....
July 8, 2015
Very basic, but a nice little book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews