I’m a fan of Peter Marren’s writing because he knows so much about so many things and can tell a tale so well. He seems to have an almost endless knowledge into which he can dip and he has a knack of presenting that knowledge in an accessible and interesting way. As you read his books you may think that he would be a good person with whom to go to the pub and chat about wildlife itself, and the issues that assail it. And, although it has been quite a while since I did just that, he is!
This latest book could be imagined to be an anti-wildlife book dealing as it does with plants and fungi that poison and sting, or stink or make life difficult for other wildlife but of course we are led to understand why these organisms are as they are. Whereas a large mammal can harm you by attacking with sharp teeth and claws a poisonous plant kills you if you make the mistake of eating it. That is a very different relationship but the lack of sentience in the plant and fungal kingdoms means that we feel very little compunction about hacking away at the vegetation, burning it off or using something out of a can to poison it.
Here we learn of stinging nettles, brambles, mushrooms and toadstools, henbane, Japanese knotweed and many more awkward companions on Earth.
It’s a very good book, and when you buy it, the witty quote from Simon Barnes on the back cover will make you smile.
The cover? It conjures up the subject well with dark colours and a dark feeling about it. I’d give it 8/10.
The Devil’s Garden: the world’s most sinister plants and fungi by Peter Marren is published by Bloomsbury.
You could buy this book from Bookshop.org and I have set up a booklist to make that easy through this link https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/MarkAvery Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase
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