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A Year with Gilbert White: The First Great Nature Writer
'Uglow makes us feel the life beyond the facts.' GUARDIAN
'Few can match Uglow's skill at conjuring up a scene, or illuminating a character.' SUNDAY TIMES
'Charming . . . Like Radio 4's shipping forecast for naturalists.' Andrea Wulf, FINANCIAL TIMES
'A glorious celebration of curiosity and nature.'OBSERVER
A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, THE SPECTATOR, FINANCIAL TIMES, OBSERVER AND NEW STATESMAN
In 1781, Gilbert White was a country curate, living in the Hampshire village he had known all his life. Fascinated by the fauna, flora and people around him, he kept journals for many years, and, at that time, was halfway to completing his path-breaking The Natural History of Selborne. No one had written like this before, with such close observation, humour, and his spellbinding book has remained in print ever since, treasured by generations of readers.
Jenny Uglow illuminates this quirky, warm-hearted man, 'the father of ecology', by following a single year in his Naturalist's Journal. As his diary jumps from topic to topic, she accompanies Gilbert from frost to summer drought, from the migration of birds to the sex lives of snails and the coming of harvest.
Fresh, alive and original - and packed with rich colour illustrations - A Year with Gilbert White invites us to see the natural world anew, with astonishment and wonder.
'A feast of a book, it is beautifully illustrated and compulsively readable.'LITERARY REVIEW
'The author brings her subject endearingly alive . . . [an] enriching book.' NATURE
'Few can match Uglow's skill at conjuring up a scene, or illuminating a character.' SUNDAY TIMES
'Charming . . . Like Radio 4's shipping forecast for naturalists.' Andrea Wulf, FINANCIAL TIMES
'A glorious celebration of curiosity and nature.'OBSERVER
A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, THE SPECTATOR, FINANCIAL TIMES, OBSERVER AND NEW STATESMAN
In 1781, Gilbert White was a country curate, living in the Hampshire village he had known all his life. Fascinated by the fauna, flora and people around him, he kept journals for many years, and, at that time, was halfway to completing his path-breaking The Natural History of Selborne. No one had written like this before, with such close observation, humour, and his spellbinding book has remained in print ever since, treasured by generations of readers.
Jenny Uglow illuminates this quirky, warm-hearted man, 'the father of ecology', by following a single year in his Naturalist's Journal. As his diary jumps from topic to topic, she accompanies Gilbert from frost to summer drought, from the migration of birds to the sex lives of snails and the coming of harvest.
Fresh, alive and original - and packed with rich colour illustrations - A Year with Gilbert White invites us to see the natural world anew, with astonishment and wonder.
'A feast of a book, it is beautifully illustrated and compulsively readable.'LITERARY REVIEW
'The author brings her subject endearingly alive . . . [an] enriching book.' NATURE
Hardcover
Published January 1, 2025
About the author
Jenny Uglow
51 books144 followersJennifer Sheila Uglow OBE (née Crowther, born 1947) is a British biographer, critic and publisher. The editorial director of Chatto & Windus, she has written critically acclaimed biographies of Elizabeth Gaskell, William Hogarth, Thomas Bewick and the Lunar Society, among others, and has also compiled a women's biographical dictionary.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 2, 2025
Gilbert White’s writings have always attracted the best writers. The prime example of which includes Richard Mabey, whose 1986 biography of Gilbert White had always seemed to be the perfect match - observational 20th century naturalist writer reflecting on the life of the 18th century observational naturalist. This book, this time by Jenny Uglow, one of our most gifted literary historians, is an excellent addition to the library on anyone interested in Gilbert White, or indeed anyone who is meeting him for the very first time.
I was delighted to read of its impending arrival when the publisher’s announcements reached the press. Admittedly, Jenny Uglow has always been a favourite author on mine - her biography of William Hogarth being a favourite from twenty five years or more earlier. Gilbert White’s writings had been familiar to me for even longer, The Natural History of Selborne had accompanied me to University some forty year’s ago. So I had to approach this book carefully, there was the fear that this combination could be too good to be true. On such occasions, the time to read it has to be right, the mind and decks cleared and the approach to the book needed care and a setting-aside of time. It soon became clear that this book was going to pass all the tests. Beautifully balanced and clearly written by a master, I have been recommending it to many people.
In particular, this book reflects the writer’s sense of place. Not just her immersion in the eighteenth century world of Selborne, but White’s connection to London and the author’s own reflections on the seasonal changes in Borrowdale in England’s Lake District. I have been lucky enough to spend my life in rural Norfolk, and indeed sometimes in the Lake District, in its gardens and its countryside. An existence which has been enhanced by the observational encouragement of Gilbert White, by Richard Mabey and now, by Jenny Uglow. Jenny’s book is a hugely welcome addition to this devotee of Gilbert White and is highly recommended.
I was delighted to read of its impending arrival when the publisher’s announcements reached the press. Admittedly, Jenny Uglow has always been a favourite author on mine - her biography of William Hogarth being a favourite from twenty five years or more earlier. Gilbert White’s writings had been familiar to me for even longer, The Natural History of Selborne had accompanied me to University some forty year’s ago. So I had to approach this book carefully, there was the fear that this combination could be too good to be true. On such occasions, the time to read it has to be right, the mind and decks cleared and the approach to the book needed care and a setting-aside of time. It soon became clear that this book was going to pass all the tests. Beautifully balanced and clearly written by a master, I have been recommending it to many people.
In particular, this book reflects the writer’s sense of place. Not just her immersion in the eighteenth century world of Selborne, but White’s connection to London and the author’s own reflections on the seasonal changes in Borrowdale in England’s Lake District. I have been lucky enough to spend my life in rural Norfolk, and indeed sometimes in the Lake District, in its gardens and its countryside. An existence which has been enhanced by the observational encouragement of Gilbert White, by Richard Mabey and now, by Jenny Uglow. Jenny’s book is a hugely welcome addition to this devotee of Gilbert White and is highly recommended.
August 2, 2026
A Year with Gilbert White: The First Great Nature Writer by Jenny Uglow is a stunning and insightful biography on one my truly favorite naturalists.
I was first introduced to the wonderful world and writings of Gilbert White while listening to my favorite podcast of all time: Melissa Harrison’s The Stubborn Light of Things and have been fascinated ever since, but I was not sure where to start. This book is just perfect.
Ms. Uglow not only presents an engaging background on GW but also creates a wonderful introduction to some of his writings in the format of a yearly calendar, month by month. Within each month readers are introduced to a collection of writings and also further analysis, commentary, and biographical information to add knowledge and depth. She does this in a way that continues to keep the reader’s interest and enthusiasm and steers clear of the dull and overwhelming fact dumping that some biographies fall prey to that I have read in the past. Do not let the length deter you. This book flows organically and effortlessly, and easily is one of my favorite books this year.
If you like biographies, nature, naturalists, nature journals, or want to relax into your natural surroundings, this book is for you.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 12/1/26.
I was first introduced to the wonderful world and writings of Gilbert White while listening to my favorite podcast of all time: Melissa Harrison’s The Stubborn Light of Things and have been fascinated ever since, but I was not sure where to start. This book is just perfect.
Ms. Uglow not only presents an engaging background on GW but also creates a wonderful introduction to some of his writings in the format of a yearly calendar, month by month. Within each month readers are introduced to a collection of writings and also further analysis, commentary, and biographical information to add knowledge and depth. She does this in a way that continues to keep the reader’s interest and enthusiasm and steers clear of the dull and overwhelming fact dumping that some biographies fall prey to that I have read in the past. Do not let the length deter you. This book flows organically and effortlessly, and easily is one of my favorite books this year.
If you like biographies, nature, naturalists, nature journals, or want to relax into your natural surroundings, this book is for you.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 12/1/26.
May 25, 2026
I must create a new tag : The Art of Being Curious. Both JU and GW are masters of this, whether it be about people or the natural world. Hoping to visit Selborne this year and off to read more about Timothy the Tortoise. And Jenny if you still haven't found out about farmering, I believe it's a card game (Farmer) similar to Black Jack!
October 13, 2025
I found this to be such a fascinating read - I was unaware of Gilbert White and his work beginning from 1781 (shame on me!) but reading this book has made me intrigued to read his work and look more into the diaries he kept on the goings on/nature in Selbourne during the many years he kept detailed notes.
The author of this book has presented his life and work in a really easy to digest compilation, taking us through the diary entries month by month, alongside that of the history going on at the time and how the people were living. I found myself fascinated by how so much of his notetaking shows how life was so different in some ways back then, but so similar in other aspects to that of life now. It really does bring the past to life and his eye for detail was staggering so it's like he never missed any detail whether it was to do with the natural world, the weather conditions and the social changes going on as well as personal information surrounding his family and friends.
Gilbert White kept his diaries for over 40 years and it's wonderful to see photos of the extracts used alongside images of the area and of wildlife and as a birdwatcher, I loved to read his notes on the birdlife he sees in the area. He also wrote many detailed letters and I just love his thirst for knowing what was going on.
It's one of those books that makes you look at day to day life very differently and to notice the small things, as Gilbert White did all those years ago, and I found it to be a lovely calming read! highly recommended!
The author of this book has presented his life and work in a really easy to digest compilation, taking us through the diary entries month by month, alongside that of the history going on at the time and how the people were living. I found myself fascinated by how so much of his notetaking shows how life was so different in some ways back then, but so similar in other aspects to that of life now. It really does bring the past to life and his eye for detail was staggering so it's like he never missed any detail whether it was to do with the natural world, the weather conditions and the social changes going on as well as personal information surrounding his family and friends.
Gilbert White kept his diaries for over 40 years and it's wonderful to see photos of the extracts used alongside images of the area and of wildlife and as a birdwatcher, I loved to read his notes on the birdlife he sees in the area. He also wrote many detailed letters and I just love his thirst for knowing what was going on.
It's one of those books that makes you look at day to day life very differently and to notice the small things, as Gilbert White did all those years ago, and I found it to be a lovely calming read! highly recommended!
May 1, 2026
‘The Natural History of Selbourne’ is such a classic of nature writing in the English language, and I’ve never read it. Indeed I’ve had a copy on my bookshelf for years - a bit like Darwin ‘The Origin of the Species’, another I’m always meaning to read. Therefore when I saw Jenny Uglow’s book, I felt this was a very good way to enjoy Gilbert White’s classic and also read about him and his family. So it proved, and although it took me a long while to read, interspersed with other books of course, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Finally I had to speed up, as it is a library book and others had reserved it….White is a charming character.
One of my main impressions was sadness at how White experienced such a wealth of wildlife, compared with the increasing paucity of our experience these days. Of course there was a much more brutal attitude in White’s time - a rarity is seen and then routinely shot and dissected…although I suspect White was a lot less inclined to treat the natural world in this way than many of his contemporaries.
One of my main impressions was sadness at how White experienced such a wealth of wildlife, compared with the increasing paucity of our experience these days. Of course there was a much more brutal attitude in White’s time - a rarity is seen and then routinely shot and dissected…although I suspect White was a lot less inclined to treat the natural world in this way than many of his contemporaries.
July 6, 2026
What a stunning, informative book! It provides insight on how the father of ecology worked in his days. Through the author's writing and a selection of paintings from the period, the reader will feel as though they were an apprentice to the maestro and were working by his side, observing everything. A truly stunning book.
January 13, 2026
Invariably, Jenny Uglow picks great subjects for her books, and so it is with this one. A great book about one of my favourite books and its creator.
January 24, 2026
A joy to read ... and beautifully illustrated.
May 12, 2026
The information was interesting. However it was randomly presented due to the pointless format.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews