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Publisher: Reaktion Books, London

Publication Year: 2014

Binding: Softback

Page Count: 224

ISBN Number: 9781780231914

Price: £ 8.99

ALBATROSS

Whenever a new title in this entertaining ‘Animal’ series lands on my desk it feels like a real treat, and this one does not disappoint. 

For years I thought the albatross was a thing of fiction – or extinction – with ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ fixed firmly in my mind. Indeed it was seen as an almost mythical bird in the times when it was seen only by sea-faring folk and viewed largely with superstition as an ill omen. Dominated by Coleridge’s poem, stories and legends abound from those early encounters with the birds.

As with other titles in the series, this book brings together a wonderful mix of fact, fiction, legend, art and science about one creature. In short, it covers a lot of ground. It looks at the role the albatross has played in the different lives and cultures of humans, the wonder of its awesomely long journeys and the knowledge gained from studying it, followed by consequent conservation measures and the way we see this iconic bird in the modern world. It is a great little book to read through, or to dip into.

Book reviewed by Carole Showell

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