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Birds in the Ancient World: Winged Words Illustrated Edition

by Jeremy Mynott (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
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Birds pervaded the ancient world. They impressed their physical presence on the daily experience and imaginations of ordinary people in town and country alike, and figured prominently in literature and art. They also provided a fertile source of symbols and stories in their myths and folklore, and were central to the ancient rituals of augury and divination. Jeremy Mynott's Birds in the Ancient World: Winged Words brings together all this rich and fascinating material for the modern reader.

Using quotations from well over a hundred classical Greek and Roman authors, all of them translated freshly into English, and nearly a hundred illustrations from ancient wall-paintings, pottery, and mosaics, Birds in the Ancient World illustrates the many different roles birds played in popular culture: as indicators of time, weather, and the seasons; as a resource for hunting, eating, medicine, and farming; as domestic pets and entertainments; and as omens and intermediaries between the gods and humankind. There are also selections from early scientific writings about birds, as well as many anecdotes and descriptions from works of history, geography, and travel.

Jeremy Mynott acts as a stimulating guide to this varied material, using birds as a prism through which to explore both the similarities and the often surprising differences between ancient conceptions of the natural world and our own. His book is an original contribution to the flourishing interest in the cultural history of birds and to our understanding of the ancient cultures in which birds played such a prominent part.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0198853114
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0198853114
  3. Edition
    Illustrated
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    July 1, 2020
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    9.1 x 0.9 x 6.1 inches
  8. Print length
    480 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeremy Mynott, Former Chief Executive of Cambridge University Press, and Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge

Jeremy Mynott is the author of Birdscapes: Birds in Our Imagination and Experience (2009), a book exploring the variety of human responses to birds, described by reviewers as 'the finest book ever written about why we watch birds' (Guardian) and 'a wonderful rumination on birds and birders through space and time for anyone interested in our relationship with nature' (THES). He has also published an edition and translation of Thucydides in the series 'Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought' and, more recently, Knowing your Place, an account of the wildlife in a tiny Suffolk hamlet. He has broadcast on radio and television, and is a regular reviewer for the TLS and wildlife magazines, a founder member of 'New Networks for Nature', the former Chief Executive of Cambridge University Press, and Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Illustrated edition (July 1, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0198853114
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0198853114
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.78 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.1 x 0.9 x 6.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 34 ratings

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Jeremy Mynott

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
34 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jehoshephat
5.0 out of 5 stars just about perfect!
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book is a real treasure. Just as a book, it's printed on beautiful paper in an easily readable font. The writing is intelligent and fluent, never smug or condescending to those of us who aren't already experts. It's full of information about the birds (and what they've been called), freshly translated citations from Greek and Roman authors, all loosely organized by general themes -- e.g. birds in the natural world, birds as a resource -- rather than chronology, locations or species. The illustrations are really beautiful, and are neatly integrated with the texts. All in all, a joy to read and to look at.
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a reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Great (and expected) presence of birds in ancient Greek and Latin writing
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2019
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Birds in the Ancient World is essentially a thematic catalogue of references to birds in ancient Greek and Latin writers. This certainly has its uses, but readers who know Mynott's wondrous 2008 Birdscapes are likely to be disappointed. It's good and useful to have what is no doubt at least in part a certain segment of the research for that earlier book now in one place, but where Birdscapes has its place with works like White's Selbourne, Michelet's L'oiseau or even Belon's much earlier L'histoire de la nature des oyseaux, this is more in the nature of a reference tool.
One person found this helpful
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Stephen Branks
5.0 out of 5 stars Long Overdue
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2020
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I’ve been both waiting and looking out for a book such as this and, finally, I have it. Superb in every way.
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SK
5.0 out of 5 stars You need to like birds, and care about the Grecco-Romans.
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2020
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If you do, it's awesome scholarship, and there's a lot to learn.
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Top reviews from other countries

Gordon Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars 'Winged words'
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2018
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Written by a friend - but how I enjoyed this beautifully produced book with its generous illustrations and its wealth of quotation (newly done) from classical literature; and such a fascinating account of our complex human relationships with the wonderful world of birds. Intellectually stimulating on several fronts - not least on ethical issues and, rather intriguingly, the use of words in context and in translation.
5 people found this helpful
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Stromata
4.0 out of 5 stars Heed what the birds tell us
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2019
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
Worship the gods but heed what the birds indicate. Portents, source of literary and artistic inspiration, hunting partner, birds have been used by humans since before history but, perhaps, most interestingly by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Jeremy Mynott presents us with a fascinating account of the long human-bird relationship, which is extremely readable. The book is divided into six parts - Birds in the Natural World; Birds as a Resource; Living with Birds; Invention and Discovery; Thinking with Birds; and (my favourite) Birds as Intermediaries.

Please do not believe you need a Classics degree to enjoy this, the book will appeal to the 'general reader', who will enjoy Mynott's gentle prose. There is a very useful 'Resources' section at the back of the book including an excellent 'Biographies of Authors Quoted'.

My only criticism is that many of the illustrations are too small and fuzzy to be truly of use. As an example, on page 353 there is a picture of a fresco at Pompeii, which is a gorgeous piece of art. However the illustration is less than a third of the page. which is a great shame, as there is a lot of detail which is lost. Other than that, this is a book to savour for a long time.
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Jeff Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars A real work of art, superb research, brilliantly written.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2019
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
This is more a reference book, certainly difficult, nay, impossible to make a snap review of. I can only guess at the amount of time and care the author has taken in compiling these facts in such an educating and fascinating way. Difficult to put down, and demanding concentration. Beautifully written and illustrated.
What I have read is exciting and exceptional, this cannot fail to please the reader.
JC
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J Aitken
5.0 out of 5 stars Hugely enjoyable mix or ornithology and Classicism
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2019
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
This is a delightful book. Jeremy Mynott wears two hats as an expert Ornithologist and Classicist to delve into the ancient world to explore the ancients view of birds in art, poetry, pets and sustenance etc. Excellent illustrations enrich the narrative which is both illuminating and easy to read. I was continually enlightened and entertained when reading this volume and can recommend it unreservedly. Terrific.
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Michele
1.0 out of 5 stars the description of the book was misleading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2018
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this is not a picture book with illustrations of mosaics or ancient paintings hieroglyphs or drawings Therefore the purchase was a disappointment which is why I returned it
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