There are times, particularly if I listen to the news, read a paper or scroll through social media when I think that the the UK is considerably more beastly than it used to be and that the same applies to the world at large. But this book is about the role that animals play in British culture. Ten species are chosen; Hedgehog, Fox, Sheep, Pigeon, Newt, Herring, Stag Beetle, Flea, Black Dog and Plesiosaur.
I dived straight into Herring as I know a bit about this subject but fisheries provide many fascinating examples of humans acting against their long-term interests because they are driven by short-term avarice. I wasn’t disappointed and the reach of this chapter took me back centuries but also to suggestions about how to reduce the pong of kippers in the house.
Next I visited Plesiosaur and wondered what to expect. I’m grateful that it wasn’t all about Plesiosaurs but was a vehicle for tales of monsters, some of which aren’t even marine. The account of the Lambton Worm had me trying to recall the words of the folksong but soon I was in Loch Ness having more fun.
There are quite a few books a little like this one – pick a few species and write broadly and interestingly about them and the issues that they raise. There is plenty of space for many more such books but this one will be in the higher echelons of them because it is very well researched (as far as I can tell) and also well written. If this author produced Beastly Britain 2 I’d be a buyer!
The cover? Yes, there is a slightly jokey air to it which softens the initial impression of beastliness. I’d give it 8/10.
Beastly Britain: an animal history by Karen R. Jones is published by Yale University Press.
Buy this book direct from Blackwell’s – a proper bookshop (and I’ll get a little bit of money from them).
