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RR 2013/023 RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds (2nd edition) Simon Harrap. Illustrated by Dave Nurney Bloomsbury London 2012 224 pp. ISBN 978 1 4081 7456 2 £5.99
Keywords Birds, Guides and handbooks, United Kingdom
Review DOI 10.1108/09504121311290507
Public interest in birds has never been stronger. The RSPB (that's the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to those unfamiliar with the initialism), who seem to have lent their name and logo to this title, is one of the largest membership organisations in the UK and birdwatching is popular with millions. Given this level of public interest it is not surprising that publishers continue to find a ready market for bird related books. Bloomsbury, which with its Christopher Helm imprint is one of the leading publishers in the field, first published this title just five years ago and has now produced a revised and expanded edition. Unlike some of the company's other publications this is not aimed at the dedicated bird enthusiast or "twitcher" but "those starting out on their birdwatching journey and eager to identify the birds that they see around them" (Introduction, p. 5).
Intended as a simple field guide for the wider public, this book confines itself to the 215...