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Published Apr 2021
352 pages
Genre: Travel & Adventure
Publication Information
An acclaimed natural history writer follows the trail of the remarkable hummingbird all over the world.
Hummingbirds are a glittering, sparkling collective of over three hundred wildly variable species. For centuries, they have been revered by indigenous Americans, coveted by European collectors, and admired worldwide for their unsurpassed metallic plumage and immense character. Yet they exist on a knife-edge, fighting for survival in boreal woodlands, dripping cloud forests, and subpolar islands. They are, perhaps, the ultimate embodiment of evolution's power to carve a niche for a delicate creature in even the harshest of places.
Traveling the full length of the hummingbirds' range, from the cusp of the Arctic Circle to near-Antarctic islands, acclaimed nature writer Jon Dunn encounters birders, scientists, and storytellers in his quest to find these beguiling creatures, immersing us in the world of one of Earth's most charismatic bird families.
"An acclaimed natural history writer and wildlife guide explores the Americas in search of hummingbirds...A mesmerizing, wonder-filled nature study that also serves as a cautionary tale about wildlife conservation." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Natural history writer Dunn (Orchid Summer) takes readers on a wondrous globe-trotting pilgrimage to seek out hummingbirds...[his] vivid prose, balanced with just the right amount of detail, will captivate birders and non-birders alike." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Dunn writes passionately about climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, and unchecked development—all the work of humans—on hummingbird populations...An essential book for bird watchers, especially hummingbird lovers, as well as anyone interested in natural history." - Library Journal
"Jon Dunn's book is an adventure-filled, continent-spanning travelogue. It is also meticulously researched. By carefully peeling back layers of history to find shimmering hummingbirds hidden within, Dunn has created essential reading to understand human obsession—past and present—with these remarkable creatures." - Jonathan C. Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl
"Glittering gems of the Americas and nowhere else on Earth, hummingbirds lure Jon Dunn from Alaska to Chile in this whizzing travelogue of hummer natural history. In an adventure replete with pop culture and literary references, Dunn treks deserts and jungles, investigates a slaughter of hummingbirds for love potions, unmasks the real James Bond, and in Colombia sees an otherworldly hummer, 'like some enameled god fallen to earth.' The book is that exquisite." - Dan Flores, author of the New York Times bestseller Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History
"More than just an observant birdwatcher, Jon Dunn is a talented traveler and writer, capturing just the right details of people and place to make his hummingbird odyssey come alive. The Glitter in the Green is a vivid exploration of a dazzling subject." - Thor Hanson, author of Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees
This information about The Glitter in the Green was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jon Dunn is a natural history writer, photographer, and wildlife tour leader. His writing has appeared in a number of magazines, including BBC Wildlife. He is the author of three previous books, including Orchid Summer. He lives on his croft on the remote Shetland Islands.
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