It’s my absolute pleasure to join the blog tour for The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough by Chas Newkey-Burden today as David Attenborough has been a hero of mine for about 6 decades and it was an honour to attend one of his bird lectures some years ago. My enormous thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate.

Published by Octopus imprint Gaia on 26th October 2023, The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough is available for purchase through the links here.

The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough

A fascinating and entertaining collection of facts, quotes and stories, celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s wicked sense of humour and astute wisdom.

David Attenborough is a national treasure, known for his soothing voice, calming presence, passion for the natural world, and his humble, easy-going nature. Despite his incredible talent and influence, he tends to play it all down, one time stating that, ‘I can’t believe I’m still employed’.

So if he won’t celebrate himself, we’ll have to do it for him.

Filled with facts, tributes and anecdotes, as well as beautiful illustrations, this enormously positive book celebrates Sir David, providing a fascinating insight into his life as well as showcasing his brilliant sense of humour. Running chronologically, this book begins with his early days, to his first job at the BBC, to eventually becoming the most esteemed naturalist on the planet, as he is today.

Such revelations include:
– There are 18 plants and animals named after him
– When asked by a reporter how many degrees he had, he said it would be ‘rude to count’*
– The single thing that would improve his quality of life is ‘good, workable knees’.

Blending his quips galore with his powerful messages on the environment and future of the planet, this timely book showcases everything we love about Sir David, making it the perfect gift for any fan.

* He has over thirty!

My Review of The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough

A celebration of David Attenborough!

What a wonderful book. In a world that does its best to discover the clay feet of out idols and where so often successful folk are trolled and denigrated, The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough is balm for the soul. It’s a glorious, appreciative celebration of a man who has been in the background (or indeed the forefront) of our lives for decades. In a sense, all I need to say to review is ‘read the book’s description’ as that sums it up perfectly.

However, given that I think The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough would make a superb gift for anyone remotely interested in its subject, I feel I must comment on the physical attributes of the hard back. The illustrations on the front and back have an ethereal quality that reflects the gentleness of the subject and his association with nature. It’s a robust pocket sized volume that makes it easy to hold and transport. I loved the little illustrations interspersed between the text where there are images of things from a goose to a grand piano!

I loved the way the book tracks David Attenborough’s life chronologically and I read it that way, but subsequently I’ve dipped back in at random and that’s a cracking way to stumble upon a gem. Accessibly written, The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough is filled with facts, quotations and information that enable the reader to gain an insight into the man as well as the voice behind the television programmes. I had no idea David Attenborough has never passed his driving test for example, or that he originally rejected Terry Wogan as a BBC presenter. What works so well here is that Chas Newkey-Burden provides balance in the entries and not simply unthinking adoration. This is a volume with factual detail and a catalogue of reference sources that give it gravitas and authenticity.

I so enjoyed The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough because it taught me things I didn’t know about a man I’ve long admired, and rekindled my own memories involving both Attemborough himself and some of the projects with which he’s been involved and it left me rather wishing I’d been at that David Attenborough Monkey Rave! I think The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough would make the perfect gift and I loved it.

About Chas Newkey-Burden

Writer Chas Newkey-Burden is the author of over 30 books including Great Email Disasters and a best-selling biography of Amy Winehouse. His magazine work has included interviewing celebrities like David Beckham and Ricky Gervais.

For further information, follow Chas on Twitter/X @allthatchas and find him on Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s almost a year since lovely Caitlin Raynor sent me a surprise copy of Atalanta by Jennifer Saint and with the paperback release a month away it’s high time I got round to sharing my review. I’m delighted to do so today.

Atalanta will be released in paperback by Wildfire on 4th January 2024 and is available for pre-order through the links here.

Atalanta

When a daughter is born to the King of Arcadia, she brings only disappointment.

Left exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta, is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside the cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis.

Swearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason’s band of Argonauts. But can she carve out her own place in the legends in a world made for men?

My Review of Atalanta

The story of the legendary Atalanta.

Steeped in mythology Atalanta is a magnificent, completely immersive tale that I adored because I found it both incredibly absorbing and thrillingly exciting. 

It’s beautifully and poetically written with vivid descriptions that transport the reader into the settings so effectively. There’s such a visual quality to the writing that it has a cinematic quality I thought was astounding. The appeal to the senses, particularly the use of sound, is simply gorgeous so that the reader truly feels part of the story.

Jennifer Saint’s assiduous research into Greek mythology takes reader’s the half-remembered or partially known understanding of the subject and combines it into a narrative that is mesmerising, dramatic and far more emotionally moving than I had anticipated. With a dynamic, fast moving plot Atalanta is both impressive and gripping.

The balance of characters works so well. Jealous gods, duplicitous royalty, valiant and dangerous argonauts, gentle nymphs and a wide range of beasts, birds and so on, all weave into a rich tapestry. Reading Atalanta has the effect of lighting a flame of interest into these mythological people that is simply irresistible. I found it spell-binding.

I thought Atalanta herself was riveting. Representing unalloyed strength and a multi-layered feminism she leaps from the page as a surprisingly realistic person despite being part of a mythological world. This has the effect of drawing in the reader to her adventures. Physically and intellectually at least the equal of, and often superior to, any man, Atalanta is by no means perfect. She is flawed, being stubborn, proud and in some ways quite cold hearted. Her willingness to kill is both admirable and terrifying. However, there is also a tenderness to her that balances her personality so that she feels like a true heroine. I feel Jennifer Saint has made this mythological woman entirely plausible and real.

I could not have enjoyed Atalanta more. It’s skilled, spellbinding and a totally terrific read. I’m only delighted I have Jennifer Saint’s other books on my TBR as reading Atalanta has convinced me I have missed out on real treats by not getting to them sooner. Atalanta is just brilliant – don’t miss it! 

About Jennifer Saint

Thanks to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. Since September 2022, she has been a Visiting Research Fellow in the Classics Department there. In between, she spent thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. Ariadne was her first novel, Elektra her second, and Atalanta is her latest mesmerising mythological retelling.

For further information, follow Jennifer on Twitter/X @jennysaint, or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

It’s a real pleasure today to share details of another of my My Weekly magazine online reviews. This time it is of The Due Date by Niki Mackay.

Published by Headline on 26th October, The Due Date is available for purchase through the links here. 

The Due Date

You shared everything for nine months. But you don’t know her at all.

When Ali meets Rebecca, she feels an instant connection. Both pregnant, with babies due the same day, Ali can’t wait to share the highs and lows of motherhood with her new friend.

Rebecca is everything Ali wishes she could be – beautiful, confident, wealthy. But Ali senses in her the same loneliness she’s been feeling since moving to the suburbs. Maybe they can help each other, and Ali won’t feel so alone anymore.

Then their due date comes and goes, and Ali hears nothing for weeks. Worried about her friend, Ali tracks her down and is relieved to find Rebecca safe and well. But relief turns to shock when Rebecca denies ever meeting her… or ever having been pregnant at all.

My Review of The Due Date

My full review of The Due Date can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Due Date is an unsettling and disturbing psychological thriller that I found incredibly unnerving. 

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Niki Mackay

Niki Mackay studied Performing Arts at the BRIT School. She holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Drama, and won a full scholarship for her MA in Journalism. A lifelong, avid reader she wrote her first novel in 2017. She also writes under NJ Mackay.

For further information, visit Niki’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @NikiMackayBooks and find Niki on Instagram and Facebook.