New Releases by Gerald Durrell

''The sky turns the colour of a jay''s eye. The sea turns a deep royal purple. The mist lifts in quick, lithe ribbons, like a conjuring trick. Before us lies the island...'' It''s 1935, and an eccentric English family - four children, their widowed mother, and Roger the dog - arrives on the sun-soaked shores of Corfu to start a new life. For eleven-year-old Gerry Durrell, the extraordinary landscape provides the perfect playground. Its exotic fauna inspires a life-long fascination with the animal kingdom - and his much-loved memoir My Family and Other Animals. Janys Chambers'' acclaimed stage adaptation was first seen at York Theatre Royal, and invites other theatre companies to make ingenious and inventive decisions, bringing to life all the inhabitants of Durrell''s cherished island - whether they walk and talk, fly and squawk, crawl or swim or slither.

Journey to South America on a search for endangered species with the author of My Family and Other Animals. In 1950, Gerald Durrell set off for British Guiana (now Guyana) to collect native wildlife and bring it back to his Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust on the island of Jersey in the English Channel. On his journey, Durrell experienced all kinds of adventures: some amusing, some thrilling, and some extremely irritating. He traveled up the Essequibo River into the lush tropical forests and trekked across a landscape teeming with life and color. He encountered the sakiwinki monkey and the sloth with curiously green fur, heard the horrifying sounds of rampaging piranhas, and learned how to lasso a galloping anteater. He even met an ill-tempered anaconda and an overly affectionate bird. This remarkable memoir will take you into a wild place in another time, accompanied by the highly entertaining naturalist whose writings inspired popular Masterpiece series The Durrells in Corfu. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

The conservationist whose work inspired Masterpiece production The Durrells in Corfu recounts the early years of the Durrell Wildlife Park. At the age of six, Gerald Durrell confidently told his mother he would one day have his own zoo. She told him it was a lovely idea and promptly forgot all about it. But the young naturalist’s passion wasn’t about to fade away any time soon. Written for the Durrell Wildlife Park’s twenty-fifth anniversary, The Ark’s Anniversary is the unconventional story of how one man’s dream was transformed into the esteemed organization known today as the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, dedicated to saving endangered species from extinction. In the beginning, everyone thought Durrell was crazy to place a zoo on the island of Jersey in the English Channel. But that didn’t stop people from coming to see him and his menagerie of rare and exotic animals, including celebrities like Richard Adams, Princess Grace, David Niven (who presided over the wedding of two apes), and Princess Anne (who wrote the foreword to this book). The Ark’s Anniversary is a delightful journey and a celebration of success for anyone who loves the natural world. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

A famed zookeeper reflects on his lifelong love of animals—and his decision to build them a home—in this memoir by the author of the Corfu Trilogy. The first word Gerald Durrell could say with any clarity was “zoo.” Animals were his passion. His early years in India were full of routine visits to the local zoo, and if his nursemaid attempted to deviate from this routine, the result was usually a tantrum. Years later, when Durrell decided to set up the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust—which would later become the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust—he didn’t want it to be like other zoos. He didn’t want a place where animals were simply imprisoned, where parents reluctantly brought their children to get sick on ice cream. More than a place for entertainment, Durrell’s zoo needed to be a place for education, research, and conservation. But achieving his goal would force him to question if wild animals really did belong in the care of humans. The Stationary Ark is an entertaining and thoughtful look at a career in zookeeping from the man who inspired acclaimed Masterpiece production The Durrells in Corfu, which aired on public television. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

Travel to the wilds of Cameroon with the conservationist whose work inspired Masterpiece production The Durrells in Corfu on public television. In 1949, Gerald Durrell embarks with fellow zoologist Kenneth Smith on an expedition to collect rare animals in the British Cameroons in West Central Africa. There, he meets the Nero-like local ruler, the Fon of Bafut, who likes a man who can hold his liquor—will Durrell be able to get on his good side? In this unique memoir, set off on a journey with the famed British naturalist’s group of hunters and his pack of motley hunting dogs as they encounter an array of exotic creatures, including flying mice, booming squirrels, a frog with a mysterious coat of hair, and teacup-size monkeys; and witness the joys and problems of collecting, keeping, and transporting wild animals from Africa to England. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

“First-rate entertainment”: The author of the Corfu Trilogy recounts his expedition to Madagascar and search for the elusive, endangered aye-aye (Publishers Weekly). In 1990, Gerald Durrell; his wife, Lee; and a television crew embarked on a rescue mission to one of the most interesting places in the world: the island of Madagascar. It was there that they hoped to record and capture the endangered aye-aye, the world’s largest nocturnal primate. Recognizable by its big eyes and long fingers, the strange, rare aye-aye was an animal of incredible fascination for Durrell, one he felt compelled to conserve as its habitat was taken away by deforestation. In this passionate memoir, Durrell’s funny, vibrant voice shines as he describes the magical landscape of Madagascar, the exotic animals that inhabit it, and the challenges of his expedition to preserve an important part of our ever-changing world. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

Uproarious antics fill this genre-crossing collection of six stories from the beloved British naturalist and author of the Corfu Trilogy. The eccentric Durrell family sets off on an ill-fated excursion in “The Picnic” and embarks on a Greek cruise in “The Maiden Voyage.” Next, things take a turn for the diabolical when a solo Durrell runs into a former flame in “The Public School Education”—and then finds trouble of a different sort in “The Havoc of Havelock.” Finally, the typically jocular Durrell unexpectedly shifts to the macabre with the surprise cuisine of “The Michelin Man” and the spine-tingling horror of “The Entrance.” With his knack for describing his often outlandish, always entertaining adventures, Gerald Durrell serves up an engrossing blend of genres in this intriguing collection of stories. Including both fiction and nonfiction, The Picnic and Suchlike Pandemonium reveals the wide-ranging talents of the famed naturalist and memoirist. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

The celebrated naturalist and author of the Corfu Trilogy, shares more humorous reflections on a life spent among humans and animals. In My Family and Other Animals and its sequels, Gerald Durrell writes of his family’s antics during their time on the Greek island of Corfu. In his later memoirs, he vividly describes his expeditions to other, faraway places. In Fillets of Plaice, he compiles a quintet of hilarious stories that touch on all of the above and more—from his unconventional childhood to his passion for animal conservation as an adult. His adventures range from a rollicking birthday party to a London pet shop to the exotic locale of deepest Africa. Throughout it all, Durrell entertains with his signature charming, witty voice. A compendium of outrageous tales, Fillets of Plaice is perfect for longtime fans of Durrell’s work, and anyone looking for a heartwarming, riotous read. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

The beloved naturist and author of My Family and Other Animals shares the pleasures and pitfalls of opening a zoo on the English Channel Island of Jersey. Spurred by his passion for animals and a lifelong dream, in the spring of 1959 Gerald Durrell opened the Jersey Zoo—now known as the Durrell Wildlife Park—on the grounds of an old manor house. The menagerie provided a safe habitat for rare and endangered species and exposed its human visitors to the wonders of nature. Dealing with escapee animals and overdrawn bank accounts, Durrell soon discovered that owning and operating a fledgling zoo was no easy task. But despite the setbacks, these charming, often hilarious stories make clear that, for Durrell, ensuring the park’s success and helping the creatures he loved so dearly was worth any obstacle. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

“An ‘almost true’ tale” of a man’s adventures inheriting an elephant, so “lovingly embellished . . . you’ll almost wish that you had a Rosy in your family too”—from the author of the Corfu Trilogy (Kirkus Reviews). When his uncle passes away unexpectedly, young Adrian Rookwhistle’s inheritance turns his humdrum life upside down. Instead of a manor house, Adrian has been bequeathed Rosy, an elephant whose predilection for fine spirits leads to high jinks far beyond the means of a shy English gentleman. Convinced that a circus will take the troublesome tusker off his hands, Adrian leads Rosy on a trek to the coast, setting in motion an uproarious adventure of mammoth proportions. Author Gerald Durrell promises that despite being embellished here and there, “nearly all the adventures in this book really happened.” Ultimately, this tale of a pachyderm with a penchant for pandemonium guarantees pure entertainment. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

Naturalist Gerald Durrell recalls his expedition to South America to find exotic animals in this follow-up to A Zoo in My Luggage. After bringing multiple species of African animals back to the Channel Island of Jersey to populate their new zoo, British naturalist Gerald Durrell and his wife followed their passion for wildlife preservation on a journey to South America. With a team of helpers, they spent eight months on safari searching for exotic specimens. Through windswept Patagonian shores and tropical forests in the Argentine, from ocelots to penguins, fur seals to parrots to pumas, the author who inspired the public television drama The Durrells in Corfu captures the landscape and its inhabitants with his signature charm and humor. Filled with adventure, exploration, and the spirit of conservation, The Whispering Land is a memoir that animal lovers of all ages will enjoy. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

National Bestseller: The complete trilogy that inspired Masterpiece production The Durrells in Corfu in one volume. The tales of a naturalist and his family, who left England for the Greek island of Corfu—where they interacted with fascinating locals of both human and animal varieties—these memoirs have become beloved bestsellers and inspired the delightful series that aired on PBS television. Included in this three-book collection are: My Family and Other Animals: Ten-year-old Gerald Durrell arrives on sun-drenched Corfu with this family and pursues his interest in natural history, making friends with the island’s fauna—from toads and tortoises to scorpions and geckos—while reveling in the joyous chaos of growing up in an unconventional household. Birds, Beasts and Relatives: Written after a boyhood spent studying zoology, this memoir is part nature guide, part coming-of-age tale, and all charmingly funny memoir. The Garden of the Gods: In the conclusion of the trilogy, Durrell shares more tales of wild animals and his even wilder family, including his mother, Louisa, and his siblings Lawrence, Leslie, and Margo, in the years before World War II. “[Durrell’s] books have an unfailing charm. . . . It is a tribute to his skill that one never tires of his accounts” (Chicago Tribune). This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

The inspiration for The Durrells in Corfu, a Masterpiece production on public television: A naturalist’s account of his childhood on the exotic Greek island. When the Durrells could no longer endure the gray English climate, they did what any sensible family would do: sold their house and relocated to the sun-soaked island of Corfu. As they settled into their new home, hilarious mishaps ensued as a ten-year-old Gerald Durrell pursued his interest in natural history and explored the island’s fauna. Soon, toads and tortoises, bats and butterflies—as well as scorpions, geckos, ladybugs, praying mantises, octopuses, pigeons, and gulls—became a common sight in the Durrell villa. Uproarious tales of the island’s animals and Durrell’s fond reflections on his family bring this delightful memoir to life. Capturing the joyous chaos of growing up in an unconventional household, My Family and Other Animals will transport you to a place you won’t want to leave. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

The follow-up to My Family and Other Animals and the inspiration for The Durrells in Corfu: A naturalist’s memoir of his family’s time on a Greek island. In the years before World War II, Gerald Durrell’s family left the gloomy shores of England for the sun-drenched island of Corfu. Against this picturesque backdrop, Durrell fondly recalls his family’s disorderly household and outrageous antics, including their interactions with locals of both human and animal varieties. After a boyhood spent studying zoology and acquiring the island’s exotic insects, reptiles, birds, mammals, and sea creatures as pets, Durrell’s budding naturalism would later bloom into a passion for conservation that would last a lifetime. Filled with clever observations, amusing anecdotes, and childlike wonder, Birds, Beasts and Relatives is half nature guide, half coming-of-age tale, and all charmingly funny memoir. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

Part of the trilogy of memoirs that inspired the television show The Durrells in Corfu: A naturalist’s adventures with animals—and humans—on a Greek island. When his family moved to a Greek island, young naturalist Gerald Durrell was able to indulge his passion for wildlife of all sorts as he discovered the new world around him—and the creatures and people who inhabited it. Indeed, Durrell’s years growing up on Corfu would inspire the rest of his life. In addition to his tales of wild animals, Durrell recounts stories about his even wilder family—including his widowed mother, Louisa, and elder siblings Lawrence, Leslie, and Margo—with undeniable wit and humor. The final chapter in Durrell’s reflections on his family’s time in Greece before the start of World War II, The Garden of the Gods is a fascinating look at the childhood of a naturalist who was ahead of his time. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

Fauna and Family, also known as The Garden of the Gods, is the third in Durrell’s Corfu trilogy that begins with his beloved classic, My Family and Other Animals and continues with Birds, Beasts and Relatives. In his foreword to Fauna and Family, Durrell confessed that in the first two books, “I had left out a number of incidents and characters that I would have liked to have described, and I have attempted to repair this omission in this book . . . I hope that it might give the same pleasure to its readers as apparently its predecessors have done, as for me it portrays a very important part of my life . . . which is a truly happy and sunlit childhood.”

My Family and Other Animals is the bewitching account of a rare and magical childhood on the island of Corfu by treasured British conservationist Gerald Durrell. This tv tie in edition coincides with ITV''s six part television series The Durrells. Escaping the ills of the British climate, the Durrell family - acne-ridden Margo, gun-toting Leslie, bookworm Lawrence and budding naturalist Gerry, along with their long-suffering mother and Roger the dog - take off for the island of Corfu. But the Durrells find that, reluctantly, they must share their various villas with a menagerie of local fauna - among them scorpions, geckos, toads, bats and butterflies. Recounted with immense humour and charm My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood. ''Durrell has an uncanny knack of discovering human as well as animal eccentricities'' Sunday Telegraph ''A bewitching book'' Sunday Times

Even the most cautious of travellers would, I think, be thrilled at the idea of visiting a remote tropical island. There seems to be something about tropical islands that stirs the blood of even the most unadventurous souls. Lying in the Indian Ocean, the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar - where millions of years of evolutionary isolation created a flora and fauna unique in the world - provide the exotic setting for Gerald Durrell''s expeditionary rescue work with animals. In his personal and delightful way he entertains, educates and makes a dramatic appeal to us all about the distressing state of these beautiful and endangered species around the world and shows us the serious consequences to life and its future on this earth. Ark on the Move is an exciting journey which also inspired an international television series based on the author''s rescue and breeding operations.

If you want to know how to capture, and then make friends with an ant-eater, an electric eel, or a porcupine or a boa-constrictor, this is your book. When Gerald Durrell goes wild-animal hunting he takes interest and affection along with his nets and traps. And his captives enjoy luxury treatment as he discovers how to feed and train them and prepare them for display in the zoos to which they are destined. This is a fascinating book, for the reader is let into many secrets of the animal hunter’s trade, as well as being introduced to a variety of charming and curious animals such as capybaras, hoatzins, and tucotucos, not to mention a tame curassow called Cuthbert.

For fans of the PBS Masterpiece Theater series, The Durrells in Corfu--here''s what happened next! When Gerald Durrell was eight, his family, lead by his intrepid, imperturbable mother, went abroad and settled in Corfu. The story of the family life''s there is told in Fauna and Family. Then the Durrells returned to England in 1939 and the family''s story continues in Fillets of Plaice. Finally, in 1945, the young zoologist finally came to work at his first actual zoo in Beasts in My Belfry). It was Whipsnade Zoo--then a new concept in open-range animal exhibits--where Durrell joined in as a student keeper with Albert the lion, Babs the polar bear, and a baby Père David''s deer among his first charges. In this entertaining history, he recaptures all the passion that permeated those early years, while conveying his insight into and affection for both four- and two-footed creatures. The book is full of larger-than-life animal characters: the bear who sang operatic arias with one paw clasped to his breast, his bosom friend Billy the goat, playful zebras, and a host of equally endearing and memorable critters. This is Durrell at his best.

The second edition of this book, guides you through a proven, results-based approach to calculating the return on investment (ROI) in training and performance improvement programmes. Jack Phillips has composed user-friendly ROI calculations, plus: ten post-programme data collection methods; ten strategies for determining the amount of improvement that is directly linked to training programmes; and ten techniques for converting both hard and soft data to monetary values. It should be a useful primary reference for learning how to utilize ROI to show the contribution of training, education, learning systems, performance improvement, and change initiatives throughout organizations. The book also details implementation issues, provides worksheets and pinpoints non-monetary programme benefits. A case study takes the reader through the ROI process step-by-step.

Collection of eight short stories by the author observing absurdity that abounds in the world.

Gerald, a boy growing up on the Greek island of Corfu, rescues a land tortoise from the sea and introduces it into the company of the frogs, toads, snakes, crabs, octopuses, and other animal friends he has cultivated.

Great-Uncle Lancelot''s latest invention, a time machine, has been stolen by a villain and his henchman. The evil pair have travelled back in time to the Age of the Dinosaurs to capture the beasts. Emma, Ivan and Conrad travel back through time with Lancelot to save the dinosaurs.

Great-Uncle Lancelot, redoubtable explorer and enthusiastic naturalist, takes his niece and twin nephews on an extraordinary journey around the world, introducing them to a wide variety of animals.