Shearwater: A Bird, an Ocean, and a Long Way Home (Hardcover)

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Shearwater: A Bird, an Ocean, and a Long Way Home By Roger Morgan-Grenville Cover Image

Shearwater: A Bird, an Ocean, and a Long Way Home (Hardcover)

$27.00


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(Animals & Nature)

Staff Reviews


Mingling nature writing with memoir, Morgan-Grenville spends a year following the fascinating Manx shearwater around the world. Fulfilling a lifelong quest, he goes from the Scottish coast to the wilds of Argentina to the edge of Ireland as the bird embarks on its own astounding journey. Lively, humble, and well-researched, it’s perfect for readers of Helen MacDonald and Marc Hamer.

— Ben

'Charming and impassioned ... a rich tribute to an extraordinary bird.' Horatio Clare, author of A Single Swallow and Heavy Light

A very personal mix of memoir and natural history from the author of Liquid Gold.

Ten weeks into its life, a Manx shearwater chick will emerge from its burrow and fly 8,000 miles from the west coast of the British Isles to the South Atlantic. It will be unlikely to touch land again for four years.

Part memoir, part homage to wilderness, Shearwater traces the author's 50-year obsession with one of nature's supreme travellers. In the finest tradition of nature writing, Roger Morgan-Grenville, author of Liquid Gold - described by Mary Colwell (Curlew Moon) as 'a book that ignites joy and warmth' - unpicks the science behind its incredible journey; and into the story of a year in the shearwater's life, he threads the inspirational influence of his Hebridean grandmother who instilled in him a love of wild places and wild animals.

Full of lightly-worn knowledge, acute human observation and self-deprecating humour, Shearwater brings to life a truly mysterious and charismatic bird.

Roger Morgan-Grenville was a soldier in the Royal Green Jackets from 1978-86, serving all over the world. In 1984-85, he led the first expedition that successfully retraced Sir Ernest Shackleton's escape across the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. After leaving the British army, he worked in, and then ran, a small family company importing and selling kitchenware. In 2007-08, he helped to set up the UK charity Help for Heroes, and in 2020 he was a founding member of the conservation charity, Curlew Action. He jointly set up a roving cricket team in 1986 (The Winchester Hunters) and lives in West Sussex. This is his fifth book. His previous title, Liquid Gold: Bees and the Pursuit of Midlife Honey, is also published by Icon.
Product Details ISBN: 9781785787201
ISBN-10: 1785787209
Publisher: Icon Books
Publication Date: June 8th, 2021
Pages: 304
Language: English