Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Conservation Centers by Vernon Kisling

[Crowthorne]

Have just found out there is a second edition being published soon of Vernon Kisling's 'Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Conservation Centres'. The first edition was comprehensive, but prohibitively expensive; the second edition is still £100 at pre-order, but in case anyone is interested:

Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Conservation Centers https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1032252790/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_YBX4H0TB4PNQYF2RYMKW

 

[snowleopard]

I ordered this book via Amazon in February and it will likely be essential reading for any zoo nerd. It will be interesting to see the updates in comparison to the 2001 first edition, which is a brilliant publication.

 

[Bengal Tiger]

Have just found out there is a second edition being published soon of Vernon Kisling's 'Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Conservation Centres'. The first edition was comprehensive, but prohibitively expensive; the second edition is still £100 at pre-order, but in case anyone is interested:

Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Conservation Centers https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1032252790/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_YBX4H0TB4PNQYF2RYMKW

If you don't mind me asking, would you say this book is worth it?

 

[snowleopard]

If you don't mind me asking, would you say this book is worth it?

I own the first edition and it's an expensive yet essential part of my zoo library. It is a hardcover, over 400 pages, and works best as a reference book for the history of zoos. In fact, it is surely the #1 book ever written in regards to zoological history. There are 10 contributors and they write about the zoos of ancient times (Greek, Roman, Persian, Aztec, etc.) that takes up approximately the first 50 pages. Then there are whole sections on the zoos of Great Britain, Western Europe, Central-Eastern Europe and Russia, USA, Australia, Asia, India, Japan, Africa and South America. It is easily the most comprehensive zoo book ever written.

At the back of the book is a 20-page appendix listing all the major zoos in order of their opening dates. You can find obscure information, such as Bulgaria's Akvarium Varna's opening date of 1932, or that Sea World Durban in South Africa opened in 1959. The second edition is due on July 11th and it will contain a wealth of updated information, including a new section on the history of Canadian zoos written by Brent Huffman.

I own hundreds of books about zoos and Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens (Vernon Kisling, 2001) must be pretty close to being the finest zoo book ever published.

 

[Crowthorne]

If you don't mind me asking, would you say this book is worth it?

As it is such an eye-wateringly expensive book, I would suggest first seeing if you can order a copy through a library. I know that the British Library has a copy that can be called up to the Reading Rooms (that was how I got to take a look); college or university libraries might similarly have copies or could call copies from elsewhere via inter-library loans. National Deposit Libraries will also have copies.

I'm hoping that the second edition will make the first edition a little more affordable. As it stands, I much prefer my copies of John Edward's London Zoo photography books, and Zoo: A History of Zoological Gardens in the West by Eric Baratay; these are infinitely more affordable and another good starting place for investigating zoo history.

 

[Dassie rat]

I checked Abebooks for the 1st edition. The cheapest copy is £113.

 

[Aardwolf]

I bought the 2001 version not long after it came out. I have to admit I was actually a little underwhelmed by it. A few years ago, I was using it for some research in a paper I was writing (it's still a work in progress, so I'm being a little vague with details). I consulted with an archaeologist and mentioned some of Kisling's descriptions of zoos in that culture. The archaeologist responded that the information provided by Kisling was "really fanciful, and not supported by any primary sources," which did dampen my appreciation for the book. His work on more contemporary zoos, however, seems to be very solid.