Moth

this book is indeed very different: beautifully written, full of surprises, gloriously illustrated in flowing mature prose and colourful illustration. Yes, the researcher will find many familiar issues being discussed (even then I enjoyed being reminded about much of what I once knew well), but I doubt that he/she will have gleaned the insights that Matthew Gandy has revealed linking moths and butterflies to the arts and sciences, all too often regarded as tenuous but here exposed as firm, intricate, anastomosing webs of connections the reflections on the perspectives of moths in distinct cultures are in themselves fascinating and I found myself acquiring new views . . . This is one of those rare books that should galvanise the next generation to learn and enjoy, to revere and to protect what we still have of smaller organisms, the living gems on this amazing planet. * Entomologists Gazette *
Moth lavishly illustrated with many gorgeous plates and these are worth the price on their own . . . The author is a geographer with very wide interests and he is clearly very good at researching his subjects and rooting out obscure and exciting things to include . . . I guarantee that everyone will find information new to them and of real interest. Everyone will enjoy the extraordinary plates! I thoroughly recommend this to anyone with an interest in moths and expect to dip back into it many times in the future. * Atropos *
Moth is part of a series of a new kind of animal history, so one expects a section on natural history, followed by another on how humans have interpreted moths in art, music, literature, etc. This volume breaks that pattern with a long section on the naming of moths and highlights the history, controversies, and occasional humor of taxonomic work. Recommended. * Choice *
Matthew Gandys book focuses on the moth: long associated with darkness and the gothic imagination, yet significant in a myriad of other ways, from silk production to sensitive indicators of environmental change . . . Both Animal series books are extremely well illustrated, bursting with historical detail and engagingly written. These exceptional accounts of the cultural and natural history of beetles and moths will undoubtedly change the way readers think about their relationship with these captivating insects. * European Journal of Entomology *