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With the original introduction by C.J. Dennis and a new foreword by Sean Dooley.Ninety years on, A.H. Chisholm's classic
Mateship with Birds is still as fresh and inspirational as an early-morning walk in the bush, the air resounding with birdsong. His account of the secret lives of birds - their seasonal doings and their complex relationships - reflects his patient and detailed observations, and his deep enjoyment of the Australian bush and all its inhabitants.
This is not just a book for bird-lovers. Chisholm's charming and often humorous prose reveals a man who loves words as well as birds. His style of writing and the historical photographs accompanying his text provide a gentle record of a period that already feels like 'the old days'.
But Chisholm wrote with an urgent message to the future. He could clearly see the threat that 'the moving finger of Civilisation' posed to birdlife, and his account of the tragic demise of the Paradise Parrot ends with this passionate exhortation: 'What are the bird-lovers of Australia going to do about this matter of vanishing Parrots? Surely it is a subject worthy of the closest attention of all good Australians.'
With the reissuing of this book, we honour these words, and offer his delight in 'the loveliest and the best of Nature's children' to a new generation.
About the author
A.H. (Alexander Hugh) Chisholm was born in Maryborough, Victoria in 1890 and worked on the Maryborough Advertiser before moving to Brisbane to work on the Daily Mail, and subsequently to Melbourne to edit the Argus. Chisholm worked with C. J. Dennis and published his major work The Making of the Sentimental Bloke in 1946. C.J. Dennis wrote the Introduction to Mateship with Birds and Chisholm later died in 1977.
C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially ‘The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke’, published in the early 20th century.
Sean Dooley is a Melbourne comedy writer and author whose first book, The Big Twitch, outlined his attempt to break the Australian birdwatching record. Sean is currently editor of Australian Birdlife, the magazine for BirdLife Australia.
Summary
With the original introduction by C.J. Dennis and a new foreword by Sean Dooley.
Ninety years on, A.H. Chisholm’s classic Mateship with Birds is still as fresh and inspirational as an early-morning walk in the bush, the air resounding with birdsong. His account of the secret lives of birds — their seasonal doings and their complex relationships — reflects his patient and detailed observations, and his deep enjoyment of the Australian bush and all its inhabitants.
This is not just a book for bird-lovers. Chisholm’s charming and often humorous prose reveals a man who loves words as well as birds. His style of writing and the historical photographs accompanying his text provide a gentle record of a period that already feels like ‘the old days’.
But Chisholm wrote with an urgent message to the future. He could clearly see the threat that ‘the moving finger of Civilisation’ posed to birdlife, and his account of the tragic demise of the Paradise Parrot ends with this passionate exhortation: ‘What are the bird-lovers of Australia going to do about this matter of vanishing Parrots? Surely it is a subject worthy of the closest attention of all good Australians.’
With the reissuing of this book, we honour these words, and offer his delight in ‘the loveliest and the best of Nature’s children’ to a new generation.
Foreword
Ninety years on, A.H. Chisholm's classic Mateship with Birds is still as fresh and inspirational as an early-morning walk in the bush, the air resounding with birdsong. His account of the secret lives of birds - their seasonal doings and their complex relationships - reflects his patient and detailed observations, and his deep enjoyment of the Australian bush and all its inhabitants.
Additional text
'Mateship with Birds … was the bible for birdwatchers before we became "birders" … [it] has been out of print for too long and Scribe is to be congratulated for producing this new edition … If you take the time to live with this classic bird book, it will enrich your life.'
