Finding W. H. Hudson: The Writer Who Came to Britain to Save the Birds

An imposing, life-size oil painting dominates the main meeting room at the RSPB?s base in the heart of England: ?the man above the fireplace? ? always present, rarely mentioned. Curious about the person in the portrait, the author began a quest to rediscover William Henry Hudson (1841?1922). It became a mission of restoration: stitching back together the faded tapestry of Hudson?s life, re-colouring it in places and adding new threads from the testaments of his closest friends.

This book tra...