What do you think?
Rate this book
The Role of Birds in World War Two: How Ornithology Helped to Win the War
A love of birds has always been an important part of the British way of life but in wartime birds came into their own, helping to define our national identity. One the most popular bird books ever, Watching Birds, was published in 1940 while songs like There’ll be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover epitomized the blitz spirit. Birds even featured in wartime propaganda movies like the 1941 classic The First of the Few starring Leslie Howard where they inspired the design of the Spitfire. Along the coast flooding to prevent a German invasion helped the avocet make a remarkable return while the black redstart found an unlikely home in our bombed-out buildings.
As interesting as the birds were some of the people who watched them. Matthew Rankin and Eric Duffey counted seabirds while looking for U-boats. Tom Harrisson, the mastermind behind Mass Observation, watched people ‘as if they were birds’ while POW Guy Madoc wrote a truly unique book on Malayan birds, typed on paper stolen from the Japanese commandant’s office. For Field Marshall Alan Brooke, Britain’s top soldier, filming birds was his way of coping with the continual demands of Winston Churchill. In comparison Peter Scott was a wildfowler who was roused by Adolf Hitler before the war but after serving with distinction in the Royal Navy became one of the greatest naturalists of his generation.
With a foreword by Chris Packham CBE The Role of Birds in World War Two is the story of how ornithology helped to win the war.
As interesting as the birds were some of the people who watched them. Matthew Rankin and Eric Duffey counted seabirds while looking for U-boats. Tom Harrisson, the mastermind behind Mass Observation, watched people ‘as if they were birds’ while POW Guy Madoc wrote a truly unique book on Malayan birds, typed on paper stolen from the Japanese commandant’s office. For Field Marshall Alan Brooke, Britain’s top soldier, filming birds was his way of coping with the continual demands of Winston Churchill. In comparison Peter Scott was a wildfowler who was roused by Adolf Hitler before the war but after serving with distinction in the Royal Navy became one of the greatest naturalists of his generation.
With a foreword by Chris Packham CBE The Role of Birds in World War Two is the story of how ornithology helped to win the war.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published February 28, 2022
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 29, 2022
I am not sure that this book really explores “The role of birds in World War Two” but the subtitle “How Ornithology Helped to Win the War” is quite apt.
I am not sure what I expected from this book, perhaps information about the National Pigeon Service that I was already familiar with?
What I got was an exploration of birdwatching as a hobby, and how it gained popularity during the war. Not only do we discover how some key people became involved in birdwatching, but how they translated some of their ornithological experiences into “war work” – from Tom Harrisson who watched people ‘as if they were birds’ as part of the Mass Observation project, to POWs who took the opportunity to explore wildlife during incarceration when they had little else to do, producing some outstanding studies on local birds, such as the one Guy Madoc wrote on Malayan birds. I enjoyed earning more about Sir Peter Scott, son of the explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who went on to found the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and later the World Wide Fund for Nature, becoming one of the greatest conservationists of his time.
It was also fascinating to discover how flood defences to prevent a German invasion helped the avocet reestablish itself in Britain from near extinction.
I was interested in the use of birds in popular culture, from songs like “There’ll be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover” or “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and how these were a key part of “blitz spirit” despite being rather fanciful (what bluebirds fly over Dover & has a nightingale ever sang in London?)
Overall, the book is well-researched and easy to read. It is amusing in places, educational in others & I would definitely recommend it bird lovers but also to anyone with an interest in WW2.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.
I am not sure what I expected from this book, perhaps information about the National Pigeon Service that I was already familiar with?
What I got was an exploration of birdwatching as a hobby, and how it gained popularity during the war. Not only do we discover how some key people became involved in birdwatching, but how they translated some of their ornithological experiences into “war work” – from Tom Harrisson who watched people ‘as if they were birds’ as part of the Mass Observation project, to POWs who took the opportunity to explore wildlife during incarceration when they had little else to do, producing some outstanding studies on local birds, such as the one Guy Madoc wrote on Malayan birds. I enjoyed earning more about Sir Peter Scott, son of the explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who went on to found the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and later the World Wide Fund for Nature, becoming one of the greatest conservationists of his time.
It was also fascinating to discover how flood defences to prevent a German invasion helped the avocet reestablish itself in Britain from near extinction.
I was interested in the use of birds in popular culture, from songs like “There’ll be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover” or “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and how these were a key part of “blitz spirit” despite being rather fanciful (what bluebirds fly over Dover & has a nightingale ever sang in London?)
Overall, the book is well-researched and easy to read. It is amusing in places, educational in others & I would definitely recommend it bird lovers but also to anyone with an interest in WW2.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.
March 1, 2022
The Role of Birds in World War Two by Nicholas Milton is a wonderfully entertaining and informative book that highlights the important role of the everyday, in this case birds, in raising morale during difficult times.
When I mentioned this book to a friend her first response was about pigeons. Admittedly, that was among my first thoughts as well. Milton goes far beyond just those birds directly involved in the war effort. Combining popular culture references with stories involving birds (and often other important humans) we learn just what birds meant to people.
I am not a birdwatcher hobbyist but, like so many others, I am easily captivated when I have an opportunity to observe a bird closely or a group of them going about their business. The pandemic, in much the way the war did at that time, has raised my awareness of these simple pleasures. This book shows that birds, and nature in general, are far more important to our lives than we sometimes realize.
I would recommend this to both bird lovers and those who like to read about the home front during wartime. The writing is engaging and the information is often surprising.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
When I mentioned this book to a friend her first response was about pigeons. Admittedly, that was among my first thoughts as well. Milton goes far beyond just those birds directly involved in the war effort. Combining popular culture references with stories involving birds (and often other important humans) we learn just what birds meant to people.
I am not a birdwatcher hobbyist but, like so many others, I am easily captivated when I have an opportunity to observe a bird closely or a group of them going about their business. The pandemic, in much the way the war did at that time, has raised my awareness of these simple pleasures. This book shows that birds, and nature in general, are far more important to our lives than we sometimes realize.
I would recommend this to both bird lovers and those who like to read about the home front during wartime. The writing is engaging and the information is often surprising.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
April 29, 2022
I didn't really think that this book lived up to its title, but I love to watch birds myself, so I found it quite fascinating anyway. I thought that it would mostly concern the role that pigeons played and it started off with this tale. However, there was a lot in the book about how General Allanbrooke found escape and solace from the war and Sir Winston Churchill (who he found rather annoying) in studying birdlife and became a great conservationist after the war. There was also a lot of detail about Peter Scott, the great Captain Scott's son, and his wartime experiences, including how he used studying birds to apply camouflage to vessels.
I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews