Description
Book SynopsisA fascinating look at the insect world found in one field in France - and how important that world is to all of us - from the author of the Sunday Times bestseller A Sting in the Tale
In 2003 Dave Goulson bought a derelict farm in the heart of rural France, together with 33 acres of surrounding meadow. Over the course of a decade, he created a place for his beloved bumblebees to thrive along with myriad insects of every kind.
In this book you will learn how a deathwatch beetle finds its mate, about the importance of houseflies, why butterflies have spots on their wings, about dragonfly sex, bed-bugs and wasps. But it is also a wake-up call, urging us to cherish and protect life on earth in all its forms. A Buzz in the Meadow is a captivating look at our natural world and a call to arms for nature-lovers everywhere.
''Glorious'' The Times
''Captivating'' Independent
Trade ReviewWonderfully entertaining… Engages the reader as much with the eloquence of its argument as with the charm of its humour -- Mark Cocker * Mail on Sunday *
Goulson writes with infectious enthusiasm… A lively and important read. -- Ian Critchley * Sunday Times *
Had me exclaiming with delight… Goulson’s book is juicy and delicious, layered with flavours and steeped in culture * Daily Telegraph *
Buy this book, give it as a present. It is required reading for being a human in the 21st century. -- Matthew Cobb, professor of zoology at the Univerity of Manchester * New Scientist *
A gripping account of the importance of insects to our environment…. Goulson has an easy-going style and an enthusiastic yet rigourous approach to material that could seem dry … Goulson’s patient attempts to establish a link between [bees’ colony collapse disorder and a new class of insecticide] become as gripping as any forensic thriller. -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times *
For those who think of science as being dry and boring this book will be a revelation. Goulson’s book is juicy and delicious, layered with flavours and steeped in culture. -- Nicola Davies, 5 stars * Daily Telegraph *
Glorious… The real pleasure of reading this book is hearing the hum of biodiversity rising from every page. -- Damian Whitworth * The Times *
A wonderfully entertaining one-man campaign… A blend of scientific evidence and amusing travelogue that engages the reader as much with the eloquence of its argument as with the charm of its humour. -- Mark Cocker, 5 stars * Mail on Sunday *
An inspirational case for awareness and appreciation of the teeming diversity. -- John Akeroyd * Spectator *
Urgent and impassioned. -- Max Liu * Independent *
Witty, clever and richly informative. -- Mark Cocker * New Statesman *
Will make you glad that British universities are full of slightly fruity, quietly impassioned academics devoting their life to the smallest of creatures on Earth. * Big Issue *
Much more than a series of romantic wildlife walks… A trove of elegant and fascinating ecological tales. -- Richard Jones * BBC Wildlife *
Absolutely captivating. * Independent *
Biology is beautiful, as told in these pages. -- Gerald Isaaman * Camden Review *
A latter-day Gerald Durrell, Goulson fairly buzzes with enthusiasm, recounting numerous hilarious wildlife encounters with great literary flair, whilst retaining a scientist’s meticulous eye for detail and a conservationist’s concern for the future of the planet. * Good Book Guide *
‘[Goulson’s] heartfelt call for us to cherish the nurture of nature is as sweet as honey. -- Lain Finlayson and Kate Saunders * Saga Magazin *
