- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Summersdale; Reprinted edition (4 Feb 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1840246359
- ISBN-13: 978-1840246353
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
148,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16 in Books > Science & Nature > Popular Science > Extinction
- #23 in Books > Science & Nature > Biological Sciences > Animal Sciences > Extinction & Endangered Species
- #73 in Books > Scientific, Technical & Medical > Environment > Wildlife Conservation
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Product Description
Review
"Informative (and often very funny) book is concerned with Gerald Durrell's life-long work to protect endangered species" --lifeoutloud.co.uk, January 2008
Sandwell Chronicle, 17 April 2008
"A must read for animal lovers"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Gerald Durrell was a famous environmentalist who added a very human touch to his writings. The title of the book describes his conservation efforts centred in the Mauritian mainland and Round Island.
Durrell visited Mauritius several times and co-ordinated large scale conservation efforts in Mauritius, involving captive breeding programs for native birds and reptiles, ecological recovery of Round Island, training local staff, and setting up local in-situ and ex-situ conservation facilities. This ultimately led to the founding of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation in 1984.
Durrel's description of the Mauritian traffic when making his way from the airport makes an interesting start to his book. Since I live in Mauritius, it is very appropriate and you can tell from the style that his guy writes from the heart in a blunt no holds barred way.
Durrell visited Mauritius several times and co-ordinated large scale conservation efforts in Mauritius, involving captive breeding programs for native birds and reptiles, ecological recovery of Round Island, training local staff, and setting up local in-situ and ex-situ conservation facilities. This ultimately led to the founding of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation in 1984.
Durrel's description of the Mauritian traffic when making his way from the airport makes an interesting start to his book. Since I live in Mauritius, it is very appropriate and you can tell from the style that his guy writes from the heart in a blunt no holds barred way.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In this particular volume of Durrell's memoirs of his journeys he travels to Mauritius with the dual aim of educating a Mauritian student in the conservation of the local wildlife and catching some of the more endangered species to take back to his Jersey zoo to start breeding programmes. It sees him and his companions encountering marijuana growers in the high forests and scrambling around on exposed rocky islands chasing after skinks, all told with Durrell's characteristic humour and flair for recounting anecdotes.
This isn't my favourite of Durrell's books that I've read so far, probably because it seems to focus more on the zoological aspects of Durrell's expedition than some of his other books. Although Durrell's animal stories are wonderful, it's his descriptions of human antics that accompany them which I enjoy the most and I think the balance between the two isn't as even in Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons as in others, particularly his Corfu stories.
Nonetheless, it remains an entertaining book, not least because of some worrying illustrations of Gerald Durrell in the sort of terrifyingly short shorts worn only by teenage girls and British men of a certain age when on holiday in hot countries where they think no one will notice. Dodgy clothing choices aside, his stories never fail to elicit a chuckle. His account of chasing skinks over Round Island is a joy to read, and he is able to characterise animals in an unfailingly vivid and comic manner. Take for example his description of some monkeys: "We rounded one corner and came unexpectedly upon a troop of eight Macaque monkeys, sitting at the side of the road, their piggy eyes and air of untrustworthy arrogance making them look exactly like a board meeting of one of the less reliable consortiums in the City of London."
Although it may not have been my favourite of his memoirs, Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons has reaffirmed Gerald Durrell's place in my heart and on my bookshelf as a sure writer for a cheering book.
This isn't my favourite of Durrell's books that I've read so far, probably because it seems to focus more on the zoological aspects of Durrell's expedition than some of his other books. Although Durrell's animal stories are wonderful, it's his descriptions of human antics that accompany them which I enjoy the most and I think the balance between the two isn't as even in Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons as in others, particularly his Corfu stories.
Nonetheless, it remains an entertaining book, not least because of some worrying illustrations of Gerald Durrell in the sort of terrifyingly short shorts worn only by teenage girls and British men of a certain age when on holiday in hot countries where they think no one will notice. Dodgy clothing choices aside, his stories never fail to elicit a chuckle. His account of chasing skinks over Round Island is a joy to read, and he is able to characterise animals in an unfailingly vivid and comic manner. Take for example his description of some monkeys: "We rounded one corner and came unexpectedly upon a troop of eight Macaque monkeys, sitting at the side of the road, their piggy eyes and air of untrustworthy arrogance making them look exactly like a board meeting of one of the less reliable consortiums in the City of London."
Although it may not have been my favourite of his memoirs, Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons has reaffirmed Gerald Durrell's place in my heart and on my bookshelf as a sure writer for a cheering book.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have recently rediscovered the pleasures of reading Gerald Durrell when I came across these reprints from Summersdale publishing. It has been a wonderful experience revisiting these magical true life stories stories and even more poignant in today's climate. A Man ahead of his time.
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