- R. J. Berry

Collins New Naturalist Library - Islands (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 109)

By R. J. Berry
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Islands have incited passion throughout the ages. These ‘watery lands’ symbolise the eternal contrast between land and water, suggesting mystery and adventure, romanticism and beauty. For centuries, they have stimulated the imaginations of writers, artists, historians and naturalists alike.

The genetic isolation of islands often leads to the development of unique elements in the flora, fauna and wildlife. In his fourth New Naturalist volume, Professor R. J. Berry takes a broad look at the islands that lie off the shore of Britain and Ireland, exploring their biology, geography, geology and climate, and examining changes that have occurred in the past and how these become relevant for future developments.

Laced throughout with Professor Berry’s expertise and enthusiasm, this all-encompassing, engrossing volume is a lyrical journey of the islands that shape our imagination and our awareness. Berry presents a wealth of scientific information which will be read and enjoyed by expert and amateur alike.

Author: R. J. Berry
Format: Hardback
Release Date: 03 Nov 2016
Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-0-00-744871-5
R. J. Berry was Professor of Genetics at University College London from 1978 to 2000. He has been President of the Linnean Society, the British Ecological Society, the European Ecological Federation, and the Mammal Society. His island research began with studying moths in Shetland in 1959 and then mice on Skokholm in 1960. He has since worked on many other British islands, the Faroe Islands, and islands in the sub-Antarctic and Pacific. This is his fourth New Naturalist. He is the author of ‘Inheritance and Natural History’, ‘Natural History of Shetland’ (jointly with Laughton Johnston) and ‘Natural History of Orkney’, amongst numerous others.

‘[Berry’s] superb Islands has taken 20 years to come from commission to publication - and it has been a professional lifetime in the living … It's the mixture of science and romanticism that gives Islands its charismatic texture: hard-won data, garnished with passion and fancy.’Robert Macfarlane, Guardian -

‘A magnificent review of what makes British and Irish islands special for wildlife, written in an engaging and readable style by one of our foremost geneticists.’Stephen Moss, Guardian -