No other group of animals has had such a complex and lengthy relationship with humankind as birds. They have been kept in cages as pets, taught to speak and displayed as trophies. More practically, they have been used to tell the time, predict the weather, foretell marriages, provide unlikely cures for ailments, convey messages and warn of poisonous gases. When There Were Birds is a social history of Britain that charts the complex connections between people and birds, set against a background of changes in the landscape and evolving tastes, beliefs and behaviour. It draws together many disparate, forgotten strands to present a story that is an intriguing and unexpectedly significant part of our heritage.


'The facts and folklore of birdlife, and man's equivocal relationship with birds, are dissected in admirable detail in this handsome book' Sunday Times



'Roy and Lesley Adkins are masters of their craft, welcoming readers to unexpected topics' BBC Countryfile Magazine


'A real revelation' Guy de la Bedoyere