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Elegy for a River
- Whiskers, Claws and Conservation’s Last, Wild Hope
- Narrated by: Tom Moorhouse
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
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Elegy for a River
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Water voles are small, brownish, bewhiskered and charming. Made famous by 'Ratty' in The Wind in the Willows, once they were a ubiquitous part of our waterways. They were a totem of our rivers. Now, however, they are nearly gone. This is their story, and the story of a conservationist with a wild hope: that he could bring them back.
Tom Moorhouse spent 11 years beside rivers, fens, canals, lakes and streams, researching British wildlife. Quite a lot of it tried to bite him. He studied four main species - two native and endangered, two invasive and endangering - beginning with water voles. He wanted to solve their conservation problems. He wanted to put things right.
This book is about whether it worked, and what he learnt - and about what those lessons mean, not just for water voles but for all the world's wildlife. It is a book for anyone who has watched ripples spread on lazy waters, and wondered what moves beneath. Or who has waited in quiet hope for a rustle in the reeds, the munch of a stem, or the patter of unseen paws.
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What listeners say about Elegy for a River
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rob Mellowship
- 31-03-21
Fascinating
The author rescues what could have been a pretty dour book by his enthusiasm and engaging style. His study of the Water Vole and White-clawed Crayfish are enlightening and absorbing. If I am brutally honest the latter parts of the book could be from any of the many books on Rewilding that are available. The author does give a detailed economic argument for rewilding but it is doubtful that anyone in government has the sense to acknowledge that. I for one thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. (Audiobook)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- RichardABlack
- 25-03-22
Inspiring!
Tom Moorhouse's reading of his own book is by turns moving, disturbing, funny, insightful and inspiring. He paints a vivid picture of the life of a chubby semi-aquatic rodent (and of the field worker studying it) and out of the trials and tribulations finds a seed of hope not only for the vole but for us as well. The future is in our hands. Everyone should read this book (or have it read to them)
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