Owl

'The owls are not what they seem'. From ancient Babylon, to Edward Lear'sThe Owl and the Pussycat and the grandiloquent, absent-minded Owl fromWinnie the Pooh, to David Lynch's Twin Peaks, owls have woven themselves into the fabric of human culture from earliest times. Beautiful, silent, pitiless predators of the night, possessing contradictory qualities of good and evil, they are enigmatic creatures that dwell throughout the world yet barely make their presence known. In his fascinating new book Owl bestselling author and broadcaster Desmond Morris explores the natural and cultural history of one of nature's most popular creatures.

“"The sometimes unsettling encounter with a real flesh-and-blood specimen of an animal--or, for that matter, the absence of one--is a recurring literary conceit at the beginning of many volumes of the series. . . . In each of the books, the writers frequently mine the nervous roles of tiptoeing birdwatchers or greedy hungers lying in wait for the big game that may never appear. Prosaically, the device . . . underscores that the books in the series are above all essays, and personal ones at that, penned less frequently by professional animal specialists than by interested scholars from literary and history fields; their tone eschews the dry cant and summary overview of the encyclopedia."--Chronicle Review, on the Animal series”

In this small, elegant volume, Morris explores our paradoxical relationship with the owl, symbol of both wisdom and evil. He examines its depiction in mythology, literature and art and provides an overview of its fascinating biology. Beautiful photographs illustrate the allure of this mysterious creature.' - Sierra Magazine 'Owl is sparely and eloquently written, scholarly and highly readable ... an entertaining and informative little gem. It will particularly appeal to the many devotees of these eternally iconic birds.' - Emu-Austral Ornithology

Desmond Morris is a well-known and critically acclaimed writer and broadcaster. His many books include The Naked Ape (1967), The Human Zoo (1969), and The Human Animal (1994), and he has contributed to numerous natural history and scientific publications.

'The owls are not what they seem'. From ancient Babylon, to Edward Lear'sThe Owl and the Pussycat and the grandiloquent, absent-minded Owl fromWinnie the Pooh, to David Lynch's Twin Peaks, owls have woven themselves into the fabric of human culture from earliest times. Beautiful, silent, pitiless predators of the night, possessing contradictory qualities of good and evil, they are enigmatic creatures that dwell throughout the world yet barely make their presence known. In his fascinating new book Owl bestselling author and broadcaster Desmond Morris explores the natural and cultural history of one of nature's most popular creatures.

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