Taking Flight: How Animals Learned to Fly and Transformed Life on Earth

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Description

The miracle of flight as youve never seen it before: the evolutionary story of life on the wing.

A bird flits overhead. Its something so normal, so entirely taken for granted, that sometimes we forget how incredible it is.

In this exhilarating new book, meet fourteen flying species, each with their own extraordinary story to tell about life on earth.

Encounter the first fluttering insect of 300 million years ago and the crested pterosaurs of the Mesozoic Era; the hummingbirds that co-evolved with rainforest flowers; and the wonders of the puffins and the penguins, dragonflies and monarch butterflies, with which we share the planet today.

Conjuring lost worlds, ancient species and ever-evolving ecologies, Taking Flight is a mind-expanding feat of the imagination, a close encounter with flight in its many shape-shifting forms that continue to transform life on Earth today.

[Lev Parikian] brings a sense of infectious enthusiasm to his account of the evolution of flight in the natural world combining a wealth of information with a sense of wonder. Observer.

Reviews

'[Lev Parikian] brings a sense of infectious enthusiasm to his account of the evolution of flight in the natural world, from mayflies and bees to bats and hummingbirds by way of pterosaurs and archaeopteryx, combining a wealth of information with a sense of wonder.' The Observer

'This accessible account of the animal kingdom's development of flight exhibits a layman's enthusiasm for an everyday wonder.Times Literary Supplement

Engaging Country Life

A compelling, chatty and wildly informative look at the various species on Earth with the ability to fly An evocative, entertaining and educational flight path through the natural histories of various winged creatures. BirdGuides

This book soars Parikian is a nature writer at the top of his game. Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

I didn't want this flight to end. Jon Dunn, author of The Glitter in the Green

Magical and uplifting Ann Pettifor, author of The Case for the New Green Deal

Whether youre an engineer, a linguist, a historian or just curious, this book has something for you Get ready to be swept away by the expertly crafted harmony of Taking Flight. Professor Lucy Rogers, author of Its ONLY Rocket Science

Lev Parikian explores one of natures most astounding evolutionary conjuring tricks ... A work of clarity, levity and joy. Caspar Henderson, author of A New Map of Wonders

This is a soaring, joyful book, filled with the wit and wonder of aerial gymnastics, deep time, evolution and biology. It might just be the nearest thing to flight in a literary form. Patrick Barkham, author of Wild Isles

A beautiful concept, flawlessly executed, Taking Flight is among the most charming popular science books Ive read in years. Parikian is fast becoming one of the finest science writers out there. Jules Howard, author of Wonderdog

Witty and enlightening. This book may not give you wings, but it will give you a deepappreciation for all those animals that glide, soar, hover and flutter and penguins. Helen Pilcher, author of Life Changing: How Humans are Changing Life on Earth

Lev Parikian has produced a clear, crisp and entertaining account of the history of animal flight. A delightful and insightful read. Dominic Couzens, author of A Year of Bird Song

Had P. G. Wodehouse ghost-written Attenboroughs Life on Earth, we might have had Taking Flight forty years ago. This is a charming book, which like its author fizzes with erudition, wordplay and humour. Nick Acheson, author of The Meaning of Geese

Taking Flight is full of wonders, large and small, and Levs own sense of the astounding fact of flight will make you look at the world differently. Those of us who cant distinguish a pigeon from a pterosaur will learn lots, but its also bang up to date and informed by research. Chris Lintott, University of Oxford

Taking Flight is a triumph of science communication. Full of surprises, insights and connections, I found delights with every turn of the page. Amy-Jane Beer, author of The Flow

This book is fascinating - packed with well, I never! and whod have thought lines which you feel compelled to share with anyone within earshot - and beautifully written with characteristic warmth and humour. Brigit Strawbridge, author of Dancing with Bees

Author Bio

Lev Parikian is a writer, birdwatcher and conductor. He is the author of Into the Tangled Bank (2020) and Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear (2018). He lives in West London with his family, who are getting used to his increasing enthusiasm for nature. As a birdwatcher, his most prized sightings are a golden oriole in the Alpujarras and a black redstart at Dungeness Power Station.