A Bevy of Beasts (Touchstone Books Paperback)

Perhaps the most popular of all Gerald Durrell's books, "A Bevy of Beasts" focuses on his apprenticeship in zookeeping at England's Whipsnade Zoo, then one of the first "open" zoos, designed with the breeding and preservation of animals as much in mind as the amusement of the visitors. Gerald Durrell, "A master of the genre" (Science Digest), describes his encounter with a myriad of species - wolves, wombats, and wallabies, to name but a few - with a flair and an understanding that readers of Durrell have come to expect and love. As The New York Times Book Review pointed out, "Anyone familiar with Gerald Durrell's books.....will know what to expect - amusing adventures with animals that have distinctive personalities. Durrell's style is easy and charming." All of Gerald Durrell's books are delightful, but "A Bevy of Beasts" is special, not only because it depicts some of the most interesting beasts in the animal kingdom, but because it is touched and enlivened by Durrell's passion to make us understand THAT ALL CREATURES HAVE A RIGHT TO THEIR SURVIVAL.