Wild Isles

by Patrick Barkham, Alastair Fothergill

This beautifully illustrated overview of the wildlife of the British Isles showcases the diversity of our plant and animal life. Wild Isles is a celebration of the wildlife found on a relatively modest collection of islands positioned at a latitude so northerly to be unattractive to many animals and plants. Despite these unpromising foundations, the islands of Britain and Ireland, together with more than 6,000 lesser islets that make up our archipelago, contain some of the most diverse, beautiful and wildlife-rich landscapes and seas on our planet.
This book will explore the fascinating relationships within and between species who make their home on our beautiful isles. Each chapter focuses on a particular kind of wild space. Britain and Ireland are dominated by a wide variety of grasslands from lowland water meadows to upland moors, and we will see how these human-shaped, semi-natural landscapes thrum with insect, bird and mammal life. Life requires water to flourish, and streams and rivers carry freshwater through our landscape, creating unique ecosystems and interrelations within and beside these waters, which are revealed in a third section. While Britain and Ireland’s woodlands are comparatively thin on the ground compared with most of continental Europe, we will see some of the forests and trees that remain are unusually ancient and, great repositories of life. Finally, of course, we are surrounded by sea, and our position on the continental shelf before it plunges into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean gives rise to an often overlooked plenty of marine life. A glorious richness divided into five breathtaking sections. Patrick Barkham and Alastair Fothergill's book 'Wild Isles' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 13-03-2023.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Natural History, Coffee Table Books

320 pages, Hardcover

Published March 2, 2023

About the author

Patrick Barkham first went butterfly spotting as a child with his father in Norfolk. His book The Butterfly Isles documents his search for as many species as possible as an adult.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Judd Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and readable companion to the television series. Beautiful photography!

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually bought this book online by mistake as the author has two books with the same title. One is a coffee table book of photography from a BBC series, and the second book is an anthology of nature writing. This is a mistake that turned out fine because I ended up liking both books. I learned from this book that are eagles in the British Isles and I never that, or that there are wild ponies that roam free. There are a lot of land conservation programs which is good on them. My mother is British but I have only been to London so Kew Gardens was as close as I got to nature there. I am planning a visit soon, I will try to venture further into nature this time.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at nature living in and around the British Isles with sections on grasslands, freshwater, woodlands and the ocean surrounding us. The photography is amazing as you would expect, but the text, although very interesting, is ultimately quite depressing, as we learn of the damage that has been done to our natural world. There is some hope on the horizon, but nothing seems to be happening fast enough, and we are suffering from shifting baselines (we see what is current as normal, instead of how it used to be). This is explained much better by Prof. Callum Roberts in the section on Our Ocean! For far too long we have treated the land and the seas as an infinite resource from which we can take what we want, but we can't, because it won't last forever and needs a chance to recover from our endless plundering.
At the end there are some ideas given for further action that the reader can take.

[Matthew Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book about the nature and wildlife in a place we call home. Contrasting from the normal Attenborough series which explores the world it is fascinating to learn about things on our own doorstep. There is a great underlying message in the importance of looking after what we have before it is too late.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stunning photos backed up by some interesting writing. Unfortunately the content doesn't feel very coherent or well put together.

[Wendelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wondrous book that shows the versatility of Great Britain's flora and fauna and the richness of the mosaic of its ecosystems. The book also highlights the steep, disheartening challenges for conservation, but also remarks on the success stories that have materialized thanks to the vigor of preservation and rewilding efforts-- forest cover has crept up from 9% to 13%, wildflower meadows have been denuded by 98% but are now seeing at least a bit of revival from a fruitful restoration campaign, badgers are actually spreading geographically thanks to warming, rabbits are becoming recognized as a keystone species that enriches grasslands as both pollinator and food for a multitude of predators, and beavers are reentering the terrain thanks to legal protection.

[Kelly Furniss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful glossy large book detailing the overview of the wildlife of the British Isles. The diversity of plant and animal life that live on these islands is wonderfully explored. A great accompaniment to those following the TV series.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative as this book is, the writing style is truly awful. The authors really do enjoy starting new sentences for no apparent reason. Just like this. And it makes the prose feel really disjointed. Which is annoying.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous companion to the Wild Isles documentary series. There is some overlap in content, but I'd recommend each. I especially loved how the book showcased several conservationists and took deeper dives into their work than the documentary was able to.

[Lester Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely superb…a great companion to the TV series.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dreary. Did not finish. Lovely photography etc. but I found the text a bit sleep inducing. But then I wasn’t a fan of the tv show really either.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times this read as the transcript of the BBC series, but still very informative and the quality of the paper and the pictures are outstanding.
It really was a joy to read :)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great companion book to The Wild Isles series. Great photography.

[Stuart Botham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book - the informative and poetic nature writing by Patrick Barkham and the stunning photography of Alastair Fothergill - showcases the diversity of the British Isles plant and animal life.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly interesting book but it was very fact heavy which did not make for an enjoyable read. However, the photography was stunning.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book, full of lovely photographs.