Myself & Other Animals

by Gerald Durrell

A posthumous work from the beloved conservationist and naturalist Gerald Durrell, to celebrate the centenary of his birth, with a new foreword by HRH Princess Anne.



Myself and Other Animals is a new book mosaicked from unpublished autobiographies, uncollected pieces and previously published extracts from Durrell’s work and archives. The result is an extraordinary journey through Durrell’s life in his own words, edited and introduced by his widow Lee Durrell.

Drawing on a memoir that Durrell started writing before he became too ill to continue it, and an unfinished book from a trip to Australia in 1969 to the Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory and Queensland, here is the unvarnished story of Durrell’s life, from touching family tributes to golden bats and pink pigeons.

Moving from India to England and then to the always sun-lit Corfu, told with dry wit and insight into our fellow animals, here is the vivid finale of one of Britain’s most beloved conservationists and prose stylists.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Biography, Essays, Audiobook, Environment

341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2024

About the author

Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell was born in India in 1925. His elder siblings are Lawrence Durrell, Leslie Durrell, and Margaret Durrell. His family settled on Corfu when Gerald was a boy and he spent his time studying its wildlife. He relates these experiences in the trilogy beginning with My Family And Other Animals, and continuing with Birds, Beasts, And Relatives and The Garden Of The Gods. In his books he writes with wry humour and great perception about both the humans and the animals he meets.

On leaving Corfu he returned to England to work on the staff of Whipsnade Park as a student keeper. His adventures there are told with characteristic energy in Beasts In My Belfry. A few years later, Gerald began organising his own animal-collecting expeditions. The first, to the Cameroons, was followed by expeditions to Paraguay, Argentina and Sierra Leone. He recounts these experiences in a number of books, including The Drunken Forest. Gerald also visited many countries while shooting various television series, including An Amateur Naturalist. In 1958 Gerald Durrell realised a lifelong dream when he set up the Jersey Zoological Park, followed a few years later by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.

Gerald was married twice; Jacquie Durrell (1951-1979), Lee Durrell (1979-1995).

Gerald Durrell's style is exuberant, passionate and acutely observed. He died in 1995.

Reviews

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a posthumous book made up of essays and an unpublished memoir and other bits and pieces from the great conservationist, zoologist and brilliant writer, Gerald Durrell.
It covers many years, from the wonderful childhood years spent on the Greek island of Corfu before the beginning of WWII, to his years as an animal collector for zoos, to his conservation zoo on Jersey Island.

Luscious writing showcases his passion for the animal world.

I'll have to read the Corfu Years Trilogy. Until then, I'll rewatch the delightful BBC series The Durrells.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

By chance, I started reading this on Durrell's centenary (7 January 2025). It's a posthumous collection of excerpts from his published work, including newspaper articles, plus mini-essays that he wrote towards an unfinished autobiography. I own and have read most of his animal-collecting and zoo-keeping memoirs and this is just as delightful, even in unconnected fragments. I especially enjoyed the pieces on legendary fauna, taming a Geoffroy's kitten, and hosting Jimmy Stewart at the Jersey Zoo. It's rather a shame that it took 30 years after his death to bring this out, though perhaps it was deliberately held until a major anniversary. His conservationist zeal was ahead of his time and it's nothing but depressing to see how we've failed to heed his advice in the trajectory we've been on since.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warwickshire Libraries Book Bingo 2025 - a non fiction book

While the plight of the planets fauna and flora remains precarious, Gerry’s message is as relevant as ever and although the book carries a serious conservation message it is conveyed from a position of obvious love and selfless dedication that’s impossible to ignore.
This mosaic of unpublished autobiographies, uncollected pieces and previously published extracts is a joy to read. It’s educational, inspirational, heartfelt and often laugh out loud funny (specifically the family scene in Corfu involving a scorpion in a matchbox).
So, Happy heavenly 100th birthday, Gerald Durrell, long may your legacy continue. May your Trust thrive and continue to conserve all creatures, great and small, and may there always be a “there to put them back into”

[John Tuson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful writing, of course, but a mixture of greatest hits and previously-unpublished (or largely forgotten) scraps doesn’t quite work.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this as soon as I wrestled it out of its mail envelope. Gerald Durrell has always been my favorite author, ever since I discovered his books at my cousins’ house in Montreal as a child. This was a perfect combination of excerpts from popular stories retold likely many times by Gerald and new material not published before. I was thoroughly delighted to reread my all time favorite humorous piece of what happens when you let an animal-mad child (Gerald about age 10-12) forget a matchbox and its dangerous content by distracting him with a meal! One word: CHAOS! I thoroughly enjoyed the new material with my favorite being the tropical reef he explored in “The Enchanted World”.

Naturally, as in all his books published after he started his Trust, it ended in an unabashed appeal for funds. As he pointed out, having spent vast quantities of his own money on the Trust, he felt no shame in explaining that given the vast amount of joy animals can provide plus the reality that letting animals die off will inevitably end in killing ourselves off as well, he requested donations to the Trust. What used to be a traditional address on Jersey Island has now been updated to their website and email address. I plan on using that information! I still hope to visit the Jersey Zoo this year but it won’t surprise me if it ends up being next year.

This book is recommended more for someone already familiar with Gerald Durrell rather than someone getting to “meet” him for the first time. I still suggest “My Family and Other Animals” as a first introduction to Gerald Durrell’s sense of humor!

[Ruth Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays and diary entries that span the whole of Durrell's life that culminate with his zoo in Jersey and worldwide conservation work.

His descriptions of animals are brilliant. He makes them so human you know exactly what he means and they are a pleasure to read.

The chapters I will remember most are the one about his two childhood dogs on Corfu; and from his travels the story of the two frogs and the story about the delicate balance between a bird and a crocodile living in close proximity to each other.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely read!
My favourie author writes so beautifully about people and the natural world
Let us conserve!

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A touching way to celebrate the life of Gerald Durrell, who would have turned 100 this year.

[Mae Lender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vahel ma libastun ja loen ikka "vale" venda ka, kuigi möönan - Larry vastu ta ikka ei saa :)

See on natuke elulooraamat ja natuke selline "suve lõpus maakodust lahkumise eelõhtul jääkidest kokku keeratud potitäis". See viimane kõlab koledalt, ma tean, aga maitseb tavaliselt oi kui hea. Ilmselt on siin küll ka lugusid, mis on ta loomingus varem avaldatud, aga mõni ehk on seni lugemata ka. Ma ju ei tea, ta keskendub liiga sageli ämblikele ja seega olen teda mõõdukalt vältida püüdnud. 

Igatahes see durrellik muhedus ja soojus on siingi olemas. Algab kõik algusest, nagu ikka. Indiast Londonisse, sealt Korfule, tagasi Inglismaale ja siis juba paljudele ekspeditsioonidele (Kamerun, Argentina, Madagaskar... kui nimetada vaid mõnd). Kõige enam ongi lugusid maailma eri paigust, erilistest loomadest, nende otsimisest, leidmisest, päästmisest, nende elu sisseseadmisest Jersey loomapargis.

Loodushuvilistele rangelt soovitatav.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Gerald Durrell's books since I was a teenager, and it was lovely to read his words one last time.

This book is a compilation of extracts from his previous books, articles and excerpts from the book he was working on when he died. I do wish he'd been granted the time to finish it.

It is a potted history of the life and work of Gerald Durrell, with comments from his widow Lee at the start of each chapter.

It is a great introduction to his wonderful writing for those who haven't come across him before, and a nice keepsake for long time fans. His descriptions are beautiful and he is amusing too. He was a man ahead of his time with his concerns and predictions for the environment.

Although this is a brilliant tribute, to know that his Wildlife Conservation Trust is continuing with his vital work is the best tribute to this remarkable man.

[Gordon MacLellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved Gerald Durrell, writing and activity, since I was given a copy of "Three Singles to Adventure" when i was about 8...."Myself and other animals" is a sort of"greatest hits"selected by Gerry's widow,Lee.
It is mostly pieces that have already been printed and will be familiar to Durrell-o-philes like myself. There are small unpublished pieces and a couple of radio broadcast scripts. Of course there are lots of pieces that I feel "o, it would have been wonderful to have seen X celebrated" but that is inevitable when there is so much material to draw from but this is a carefully curated collection tracing themes and stages through Durrell's life.

This is good: a delightful reminder of Durrell's versatility, compassion and humour. This book is like some rare bird fluttering its colourful feathers at the reader and tempting them deeper and deeper into the woods of Durrell-land....or maybe singing such a beautiful song that we have to go back an pick up some of those earlier leaves from the Durrell tree?

Enjoy!

[LaViejaPiragua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se trata de una recopilación de textos extraídos de muchos de los libros publicados pot Gerald Durrell a lo largo de su vida, junto con artículos de periódico o incluso escritos inéditos. No es tan bueno como los libros publicados en vida, sobre todo por su dispersión, pero cualquier excusa es buena para volver a Gerald Durrell, y este libro, publicado para celebrar el 100° aniversario de su nacimiento, no es una excusa pequeña.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meshing together parts of his autobiographies, letters to family, and unpublished works must have been no easy task- but it was done well and provided yet another pleasurable read by Gerry (and the editors).

His magical way of seeing the natural world always amuses me, and I can't help but think how right he has always been in being a strong voice for conservation, for the animals, our co-inhabitants in this world.

[Dawn Tyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve loved Durrell’s writing since I first read the brilliant My Family and Other Animals back in the seventies. I’ve read it several times since and naturally read many of his other titles. This collection is a beautifully curated selection of excerpts, articles, unpublished works celebrating his passion for the natural world. His voice is clearly heard in these pages, his joy and gratitude for his life beautifully expressed. So sad that our destruction of the planet remains unchecked!

[Beatrix Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of bits and pieces that doesn’t hang together very well. The focus on conservation doesn’t mention climate change and the works lose some of their prescience accordingly. Will revisit the Corfu chronicles because those parts of this book are charming.

[Wendy Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miscellany of snippets some familiar and others not. Might encourage readers to look at completed works and might encourage people to investigate conservation work. Enjoyable enough on a piece meal basis but not satisfying for those who prefer a full picture.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight into an unusual man and passionate conservationist. He loved the natural world and sought to set up 'stationary arks' to preserve endangered species and reintroduce them into the wild, if the wild still existed for them.

[Tayler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely read. Beautifully written, funny, and urgent about making change for animals. Happy 100th birthday, Gerry.