Wild Kingdom by Stephen Moss will feature on the Radio 2 Fact not Fiction Book Club on Friday 8 April.
The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of Reading Agency and library staff from across the UK. Find out more about the non-fiction strand of the Radio 2 Book Club.
You can win 10 copies of Wild Kingdom for your reading group – just visit our Noticeboard. You can read an exclusive extract first, and get some discussion questions for your reading group.
Wild Kingdom
Britain’s wildlife is in trouble. Wild creatures that have lived here for thousands of years are disappearing, because of pollution and persecution, competition with alien species, changing farming and forestry practices, and climate change. It’s not just rare creatures such as the Scottish wildcat or the red squirrel that are vanishing. Hares and hedgehogs, skylarks and water voles, even the humble house sparrow, are in freefall.
But now, at last, there is hope. In Wild Kingdom, Stephen Moss tells a different story. He has travelled the length and breadth of the United Kingdom to see just how Britons are fighting back to save the wildlife they love. In Newcastle, he sees otters that have returned to the river Tyne and red kites flying over the Metro centre; in Devon, beavers on the River Otter; and in London, peregrines – the fastest living creature on the planet – which have taken up residence in the capital. Elsewhere in the British countryside things are changing too. What were once nature-free zones are being ‘rewilded’; giving our wild creatures the space they need – not just to survive, but also to thrive. As Britain’s wildlife begins its long, slow fightback, perhaps we are beginning to realise that nature is no longer a bolt-on luxury – and that it is absolutely essential for our wellbeing, both as individuals and as a nation.
Selection panel review
Our reading panel from libraries and The Reading Agency loved Wild Kingdom – here are some of their comments:
“Enlightening and well-written, covering the history, and changing nature and landscape of Britain. Highly informative, engaging and enjoyable. Made me want to venture outside and appreciate the various landscapes and scenery and nature we take for granted get involved in maintaining and appreciating the beautiful and fascinating kingdom we are lucky to have.”
“I really liked this book. The writing is easy to get into and the subject has been researched well. It’s a book to inspire people to look at their natural wildlife and to develop an awareness of how the wildlife is declining. It is also a very current and topical book and a very accessible read.”
About the author
Stephen Moss is a naturalist, broadcaster, television producer and author. In a distinguished career at the BBC Natural History Unit his credits included Springwatch, Birds Britannia and The Nature of Britain. His books include A Bird in the Bush, A Sky Full of Starlings, The Bumper Book of Nature and Wild Hares and Hummingbirds. Originally from London, he now lives with his wife and children on the Somerset Levels.
A word from Stephen
“I was delighted to find out that Wild Kingdom had been selected for the Radio 2 Book Club. I have been passionate about the natural world since my late mother took me to feed the ducks at the age of three. Now, more than fifty years later, I want to use this book to spread the news about the plight facing Britain’s wildlife, and the efforts so many people are making to save it.”
Get involved
Tune in to the Radio 2 Arts Show on Friday 8 April to hear an interview with Stephen Moss talking about his book.
Have you read Wild Kingdom? You can share your thoughts with us on Twitter, using #WildKingdom.
Want to find out more? Take a look at the Radio 2 Book Club Twitter feed, follow author Stephen Moss, or find out more on the Radio 2 Book Club website
