Lost Beasts of Britain

Dent, Anthony

1st edition small hdb in dj, in very good clean condition. 138 pages,  15 b&w illustrations + half titles of chapters are engravings by Edward Topsell (1607) reproduced  by permission of the British Museum.  No previous owner marks, bright and tight internally and dj in excellent condition.

A hunt through British history for animals that loomed large in the life of their human neighbours.  How, why and when did they disappear? Dent looks at the folklore surrounding these creatures and brings together the evidence available for the one-time existence in Britain of such birds and beasts as the Great Auk, the kite, the reindeer, the elk, wild ox and the bear.

This is followed by the 4 principal sections of the book devoted to the beaver, the wild boar, the wolf and the catamount or wild cat.  The richest source is our literary heritage and contemporary accounts of hunting, + poetry and the bestiaries of medieval scholars and the plays of Shakespeare.

The author's comprehensive research has included evidence from childrens' games, ballads, place names and the art of each period.

Our Ref: S5602

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