Book Description
The landscape of Britain has been irreversibly changed over the last century. Modern agriculture, urban expansion, industry and transport have all left their mark, altering the face of the countryside forever. Shifting with the changing scene, the fortunes of Britain and Ireland's bird populations have fluctuated dramatically over the years. As current farming practices have evolved, the natural habitats and breeding patterns of many species have been disrupted. Urban and industrial growth has brought with it the pressures of new land use, pesticides, pollution and human interference. The activities of sportsmen, collectors and farmers have also taken their toll over the years. The new Poyser title The Historical Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland 1875-1900 is a fascinating book resulting form years of meticulous research by the author, Simon Holloway, who provides an absorbing account of the distribution changes of Britain and Ireland's birds over the last quarter of a century. Large colour distribution maps and their accompanying text paint a species-by-species picture of a period which completely transformed the landscape of this country. It is, says Natural World magazine, "a classic case of 'why did no one write this book before?'...The experienced birder, using a knowledge of species requirements, can only marvel at what the long-vanished landscapes were then like." Birdwatch praises Simon Holloway's achievement, saying: "This book brings together so much information from disparate sources, and its status maps present such a clear picture of our late Victorian avifauna, that it should take its place beside the BTO atlases on the bookshelf." While Birdwatching adds: "If you are interested in the historical side of birds and their populations this book will be an endless source of fascination." As with all Poyser publications, the attention to detail, the lovingly produced illustrations and the sheer breadth of knowledge demonstrated by the author make The Historical Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland 1875-1900 a delight from beginning to end. Poyser publications have consistently provided a wealth of detail on Britain and Ireland's birds. Working together with the British Trust for Ornithology, Scottish Ornithologists' Club and Irish Wildbird Conservancy, two landmark titles have already become indispensable references for birdlovers of all descriptions: The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland: 1988-1991 and The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland. Both are winners of British Birds 'Best Bird Book of the Year' awards and Simon Holloway's book looks set to join this best selling collection. Forthcoming titles which also illustrate Poyser's and AP's commitment to spreading the conservation message include Farming and Birds in Europe, the most detailed and current account of the Common Agricultural Policy's implications for bird conservation to date, The Golden Eagle, the first comprehensive monograph of this spectacular species' biology and ecology for over 40 years, and The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds, the first and only Europe-wide bird maps based on census information, featuring extensive new data from Eastern Europe and the former USSR.
