The Whispering Land Book

Gerald Durrell invites us to share his journey to Argentina where he set off to find and film penguins. Along the way he gathers many friends, human and animal alike, some of which will be crated up and taken to his zoo in Jersey. These days we have different ideas about how to treat wild animals but this was the 1950's and that's how zoos were stocked and how zoologists got to study and understand the creatures we share the whispering land with.

Durrell comes across as the friendliest and kindest of pack leaders. He makes his bed on the ground underneath the Land Rover while his companions bed down in the vehicle. Given half a chance I would have volunteered to follow him on his quest for knowledge of the non-human world. It would have been fascinating to watch him relate to the animals he adopted - many of which he restored to health and, in one case, back to life.

Durrell's prose has a fluidity and immediacy that seems to pull the reader into the action. His description of a bull fur seal protecting his harem is visceral as are his observations of the same seal giving a youngster terrifying swimming lessons.

This biography come travelogue come zoology lesson is simply a joy to read.