What was the state of wildlife in Britain and Ireland before modern records began? The Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife looks at the era before climate change, before the intensification of agriculture, before even the Industrial Revolution. In the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, beavers still swim in the River Ness. Isolated populations of wolves and lynxes linger in the uplands. Sea eagles are widespread around the coasts. Wildcats and pine martens remain common in the Lake District.

In this ground-breaking volume, the observations of early modern amateur naturalists, travellers and local historians are gathered together for the very first time. Drawing on more than 10,000 records from across Britain and Ireland, the book presents maps and notes on the former distribution of over 150 species, providing a new baseline against which to discuss subsequent declines and extinctions, expansions and introductions. A guide to identification describes the reliable and unreliable names of each species, including the pre-Linnaean scientific nomenclature, as well as local names in early modern English and, where used in the sources, Irish, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish and Norn.

Raising a good number of questions at the same time as it answers many others, this remarkable resource will be of great value to conservationists, archaeologists, historians and anyone with an interest in the natural heritage of Britain and Ireland.

About the Author

Lee Raye is an associate lecturer at the Open University and a Fellow of the Linnean Society specialising in the history of wild animals and plants in pre-industrial Britain and Ireland. Their translation of Robert Sibbald's (1684) Wild Plants of Scotland and The Animals of Scotland was published in 2020.

Reviews

This is a work of scholarship and I for one am very grateful that the author carried out all this work and presented the results so clearly.

-- Mark Avery, environmental campaigner and author of Reflections

The book delves deeply into the writings of old naturalists, clergymen, poets, travellers and antiquarians - and the results are comprehensive and fascinating.

-- Inkcap Journal

Raye has managed to write a book which is authoritative and well-researched while maintaining an engaging writing style which makes it an attractive read... as a work which analyses the records of British and Irish wildlife in the early modern period, and does it in an accessible and interesting way, The Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife deserves high praise.

-- Neil Fairley, BNA News Bulletin

A truly masterful work that proved to be a compelling read about species from a long-forgotten era. It is well-researched, well-written and deserves to be well- read by modern naturalists, environmental/natural historians and anyone interested in our heritage and the natural world. The publishers have described this Atlas as 'ground- breaking', and I admit to having been very sceptical at first, but they are certainly not exaggerating with 21st century marketing 'spin'. I can unreservedly recommend this unique Atlas to all members as both an interesting and valuable addition to their bookshelves.

-- Clive Herbert * The London Naturalist *

I was looking forward to reading this publication, but even so I enjoyed it more than I expected. Mapping out the status and distribution of our wildlife from centuries ago is no mean feat, but Raye has produced a hugely informative and fascinating publication here, with a long list of references (28 pages!) testament to their thorough research.

-- Ed Stubbs * Birdguides *

A fascinating tale from naturalists, travellers and historians about the wildlife recorded between the Middle Ages and Industrial Revolution... It's an enjoyable read and an excellent introduction to historical ecology.

-- Paul Ganderton * The Niche *

I have been both impressed and surprised by the breadth of species Dr. Raye has been able to find observations for that justify their inclusion in the book... a fascinating work.

-- John E. Riutta * The Well-read Naturalist *

This book adds information about the distributions of a wide range of animals in this formative period in our history, providing a most useful historical baseline.

-- Andrew Lack * IBIS *

This interesting, well-written book is a most valuable resource that results from a huge, widely researched project for which Lee Raye is to be greatly commended.

-- Mark Holling * Scottish Birds *



Book Information
ISBN 9781784274078
Author Lee Raye
Format Hardback
Page Count 408
Imprint Pelagic Publishing
Publisher Pelagic Publishing
Weight(grams) 1194g
Dimensions(mm) 244mm * 170mm * 30mm