'Britain's finest living nature writer' - The Times


Is there any bird more mysterious than the cuckoo?

It is invariably heard, and not seen. And if seen, it is mistaken for a sharp-winged hawk. The female cuckoo - by a trick that borders on alchemy - is able to disguise its egg as another's. In Greek myth the god Zeus assumed the form of a cuckoo to seduce Hera.

But we forgive the cuckoo its con-artistry, because it is the true herald of spring. It is the bird that uplifts our wintered hearts, with that first two-note 'cuk-koo' unmistakable as it sounds across the country.

In The Curious Life of the Cuckoo, John Lewis-Stempel explains one of nature's greatest enigmas in vivid, lyrical prose, and celebrates this iconic bird.


Praise for John Lewis-Stempel

'His immense, patient powers of observation - along with a flair for the anthropomorphic - mean he is able to offer a portrait of animal life that's rare in its colour and drama.' - Observer

'Engaging, closely-observed and beautiful ... this author's deep love of the world around him is as inspiring as it is entertaining.' - Daily Mail

'That John Lewis-Stempel is one of the best nature writers of his generation is undisputed.' - Country Life

'John Lewis-Stempel is the hottest nature writer around.' - Spectator

'It's his observation of the natural world - the sight, the sound, the smell of it - that is so memorable. He has a distinctively brisk, muscular style of writing that has a poetic intensity and concision. - Guardian

'His prose is immaculate' - Der Spiege

'The master of nature-writing' - Radio Times

'Lewis-Stempel sees and hears things others will never see and hear, and he can write about them as no one else can.'- Daily Mail: Summer Reads

About the Author
John Lewis-Stempel is a farmer and 'Britain's finest living nature writer' (The Times). His books include the Sunday Times bestsellers Woodston, The Running Hare and The Wood. He is the only person to have won the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing twice, with Meadowland and Where Poppies Blow. In 2016 he was named Magazine Columnist of the Year for his column in Country Life. He farms cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry. Traditionally.


Book Information
ISBN 9780857526410
Author John Lewis-Stempel
Format Hardback
Page Count 112
Imprint Doubleday
Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
Weight(grams) 250g
Dimensions(mm) 204mm * 130mm * 10mm