Must have zoo books?

S

stubeanz

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
What are the must have zoo books in your collection?

I'm looking to add to mine and wondered wether there are any zoo books people recommend or perhaps just books that every zoo enthusiast must have !

I'm also interested in any of the old zoo books (early-mid 20th century) you would recommend?
 
Anything by Bernhard Grzimek or Gerald Durrell, and the Zoo Quest books by David Attenborough.
 
Colin Tudge's Last Animals At The Zoo was a very powerful statement of zoos' conservational role. I don't think it has been bettered in the 25 years since it was published.

There are many, many zoo histories, of course, and the ones you prefer will be dictated by your taste for zoos. In this country, the recent Bristol Zoo history really does stand out, while those for both Colchester and the Cotswold Wildlife Park are well written.

Finally, John Edwards's book London Zoo from Old Photographs is pretty near perfect.
 
This is a very difficult question to answer as there are so many books to choose from and I don’t know what particular aspect of zoos most interests you; however, a few of my personal favourites follow.

I agree with “Paradoxurus”

• The Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity (Lee S. Crandall; 1964)

is probably my very favourite zoo book and is essential reading for any zoo enthusiast.

Other particular favourites of mine are:-

• The Zoological Gardens of Europe (C. V. A. Peel, 1903)

• British Zoos (Geoffrey Schomberg, 1957)

• The Rhinoceros in Captivity (L. C. Rookmaaker; 1998)

• Longevity of Mammals in Captivity from the Living Collections of the World (Richard Weigl; 2005)

As a Londoner, particularly interested in the history of London Zoo, I would have to include all the following in my personal favourites:-

• A Walk through the Zoological Gardens (F. G. Aflalo; 1900)

• A Record of Progress of the Zoological Society of London During the Nineteenth Century (1901)

• The Zoological Society of London : a Sketch of its Foundation and Development, and the Story of its Farm, Museum, Gardens, Menagerie and Library (Henry Scherren; 1905)

• A Centenary History of the Zoological Society of London (P. Chalmers Mitchell; 1929)

• List of the Vertebrated Animals Exhibited in the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London 1828 – 1927: Centenary Edition in 3 volumes (1929)

Vol 1 Mammals (by S. S. Flower)
Vol 2 Birds (by G. Carmichael Low)
Vol 3 Reptiles (by S. S. Flower); Amphibians (by Malcolm A. Smith); Fishes (by E.G. Boulenger)

• London Zoo from Old Photographs: 1852 – 1914 (John C. Edwards; 1st edition 1996; second edition 2012)

The last is an excellent book and there is sufficient difference between the first and second editions to make it worthwhile owning both.
 
Books

I was lucky enogh to buy a numbered copy of Henry Scherrens book from Foyles second hand department in th 60's. A great book for fans of London. My copy was 000 and had been signed & presented to Pocock by scherren, lots of hand written notes amongst thr text
I offered this historical copy to ZSL,but was told they had several copies. Unfortunately I lent the book to the education officer at my zoo and never saw it again.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Anything by Bernhard Grzimek or Gerald Durrell, and the Zoo Quest books by David Attenborough.
Click to expand...

David Attenborough wrote zoo quest books? I read about zoo quest in his memoirs "life on air" in which he writes 1 chapter about each of his zoo quests. I will have to give these a read. :)
 
mukisi said:
I was lucky enogh to buy a numbered copy of Henry Scherrens book from Foyles second hand department in th 60's. A great book for fans of London. My copy was 000 and had been signed & presented to Pocock by scherren, lots of hand written notes amongst thr text
I offered this historical copy to ZSL,but was told they had several copies. Unfortunately I lent the book to the education officer at my zoo and never saw it again.
Click to expand...

Henry Scherren’s work is probably my favourite of the many books about London Zoo’s history. Having a copy previously owned by Pocock and annotated with his hand-written notes made your copy very special; what a shame you no longer have it.

(NB Incidentally, Pocock’s wife, Constance, wrote a book about London Zoo “The Highways & Byways of the Zoological Gardens” (1913). It is not one of my favourites but it is rather a nice book and worth buying if encountered in a second-hand bookshop.)

Along similar lines, to your book annotated by Pocock, one of my copies of the ZSL’s "List of Vertebrated Animals" (1866 edition) was previously owned by Abraham Bartlett and contains some of his hand-written notes.
 
I am trying to source a copy of List of the Vertebrated Animals Exhibited in the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London 1828 – 1927: Volume 1 as I want to create a timeline of new mammal species arrivals however copies of the book are nowhere to be found online only Volume 2 and 3. Can anyone help me? Thanks.
 
Sheridan's Zoo Guide to Europe's Zoos "Zooming in on Europe"(2016) has been of much use to me, since it's a comprehensive and extensive collection of Europe's zoos and all relevant information regarding the facility.
Especially a print of the respective zoo's map, together with basic facts, a despcription and further feedback results in the book being a very good compendium. Therefore i personally use it as form of lexicon whenever i want learn more about a certain zoological facility, which makes this piece of literature a very useful tool for every zoo fan interested in the zoos Europe has to offer.
 
If anyone is interested, ebay has Golden Days, historic photos of London Zoo from 1912 to 1939 for sale £14-99 in very good condition. It's a great book to add to anyone's collection. I am NOT the seller.
 
Beasts and Men by Carl hagenbeck offer an interesting insight into the way animals, were collected, transported and trained and his own Zoo.
 
Hello, if anyone is interested in history books, Amazon is certainly a great resource. On the other hand, I've been collecting zoo guides, annual reports, and zoo books from all over the world since 1955 and, unfortunately, have to sell them now due to my planned move. Anyone interested in lists of my publications should contact me via Private Message
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top