The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough - Chas Newkey-Burden - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Chas Newkey-Burden
GENRE: Biographical Nonfiction.
RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: An ode to the greatest planet hero: Sir David Attenborough. Almost like a bullet-list summation of his enthralling life, with plenty of trivia and interview quotes. Not officially endorsed by Sir D.A., but a great read for his fans, nevertheless.

I am a huge fan of Sir David Attenborough. (How can one not be!?) I have seen almost all of his nature documentaries and have always relished his knowledgeable insights accompanying the visuals on screen. So when I saw the opportunity to read this book, I didn’t check the blurb or the author’s bio or any other detail. I just saw the title and grabbed it for the great man himself. A foolish risk to take, but luckily, it worked. 😄

I have already read Sir D.A.’s ‘Adventures of a Young Naturalist: The Zoo Quest Expeditions’ and have his autobiography, ‘Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster’ on my TBR. However, as my copy was published in 2010, it might be out of date now. This book served as a nice way of getting a quicker and more updated insight about my hero. (I’ll still read ‘Life on Air’ someday, no doubt about that.)

It is very clear that this book has been written by a person who is *almost* [wink, wink!] as big a fan of David Attenborough as I am. The attention to detail, the comprehensiveness of the facts, the fairness of the approach by sharing both positive and not-so-positive anecdotes about the veteran presenter, the extensive list of references at the end – all point to a meticulousness in data collection and presentation. 

This book is not endorsed by or affiliated to the Sir D.A. in any way. What the author of this work has instead done is collate a sort of biography of the evergreen genius and presented it in mini capsules. The information has been pooled in from numerous interviews and articles written about and by Sir D.A., and from opinions shared by his colleagues over the years. There are also details about his family. All of this information has been organised in small chunks, making the book easy to read. You could either read it from start to end in the traditional flow, or simply flip over to a random page and check out a snippet without much confusion. I’d advocate the former method, of course.

The chosen approach is to collate the chapters by topics than to present his bio by calendar years. Some of the content gets a tad repetitive as quotes are sometimes taken from multiple sources for the same event. The information also goes back and forth in years (but with the time period always being specified) and isn’t chronological. However, most of the data is neatly categorised and extensive. The book doesn’t stop only at life milestones but also provides interesting trivia and tidbits about its star. I loved learning new facts about my idol. Here’s one: David Attenborough, animal champion extraordinaire, is afraid of rats. Who would have imagined!?

As a lot of the information comes through Sir D.A.’s own interviews, my head automatically read all those lines in his inimitable voice. It was fun doing so – I felt like he was narrating this book to me! 😄

There are many B&W illustrations throughout the book. While these do add to the charm, they were not really what I had wanted. I would have preferred actual photos of Sir D.A., preferably in action with the animals he loves so much. I understand how this might not be possible for an indie author or a small press due to BBC’s copyright constraints on the photographs, but the heart wants what it wants, right?

All in all, this book will be a great option for fans of Sir David Attenborough who want a quick and elaborate glimpse into his inspiring life. It would also make a great gifting option for any nature lover.

Sir David Attenborough turned 97 in May this year. Here’s wishing he hits a century, and many more years further! 

My thanks to Random Things Tours, Octopus Books, and author Chas Newkey-Burden for a complimentary copy of 'The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough', and for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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Blurb: 

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
- 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!

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Author Chas Newkey-Burden:

Chas Newkey-Burden is a journalist, columnist and author who has written columns for Attitude, Time Out and The Big Issue. He has written over 30 books including Great Email Disasters and a best-selling biography of Amy Winehouse. His books include Simon Cowell: The Unauthorised Biography, Help! I’m Turning Into My Dad, and The All-New Official Arsenal Miscellany. He also co-wrote, with Julie Burchill, Not In My Name: A Compendium of Modern Hypocrisy.
His magazine work has included interviewing celebrities like David Beckham and Ricky Gervais.

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Check out this book:

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This has been a stop on the #WitAndWisdomOfDavidAttenborough blog tour conducted by Random Things Tours. (@RandomTTours on X/Twitter) Thanks for stopping by!



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