Bibliograph

The wonderful Mr Willughby, the first true ornithologist, Tim Birkhead

Type

Label

The wonderful Mr Willughby, the first true ornithologist, Tim Birkhead

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-331) and index

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

illustrationsplates

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The wonderful Mr Willughby

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1001924209

Responsibility statement

Tim Birkhead

Sub title

the first true ornithologist

Summary

Francis Willughby lived and thrived in the midst of the rapidly accelerating scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. Traveling with his Cambridge tutor John Ray, they decided to overhaul the whole of natural history by imposing order on its messiness and complexity. It was exhilarating, exacting, and exhausting work. Yet before their first book, Ornithology , could be completed, Willughby died in 1672. Since then, Ray's reputation has grown, obscuring that of his collaborator. Now, for the first time, Willughby's story and genius are given the attention they deserve. In his too-short life, Francis Willughby helped found the Royal Society, differentiated birds through identification of their distinguishing features, and asked questions that were, in some cases, centuries ahead of their time

Table Of Contents

Bitten by the snake of learning -- John Ray and the cunning craftsmanship of nature -- A momentous decision -- Continental journey: the low countries -- Images of central Europe -- Italian sophistication and Spanish desolation -- Back at Middleton -- Curious about birds: illness and death -- Into the light: publication -- A sustained finale: Willughby's buzzard takes flight

resource.variantTitle

Wonderful Mister Willughby

Classification