Beastly cover art

Beastly

A New History of Animals and Us

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About this listen

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION

A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SUMMER BOOK OF 2023: ENVIRONMENT

In a Polish forest a young woman befriends a boar. An Englishman sets up home with two beavers in Saskatchewan. A zoologist watches a fish make a conscious decision. Darwin finds the evidence for evolution in the backyards of pigeon fanciers. The entire population of Croatia anxiously awaits the arrival of a single stork.

Animals have shaped our lives, our land, our civilisation, and they will shape our future. Yet as our impact on the world and the animals we share it with increases, there has never been a greater urgency to understand this foundational relationship.

Beastly is the 40,000-year story of animals and humans as it has never been captured before, seen eye-to-eye and claw-to-hand through those humans who have stepped into the myriad worlds of our animal relatives. Our relationship with animals has always been paradoxical, but the greatest paradox may yet be this: diversity of life can heal ecosystems. Animals – if given the chance – could save us.

©2023 Keggie Carew (P)2023 Canongate Books Animals Biological Sciences Environment Outdoors & Nature Science Conservation Ecosystem

Critic reviews

"What a wonderful and unexpected book. The very opposite of beastly: heavenly and amazing, powerful and affecting, a beloved and very fine teller of tales reminds us how small we are in the face of a nature that we neither understand nor wish to respect or, in any real sense, live with." (Philippe Sands)

"Full of necessary rage, joy and passion: Beastly should be mandatory reading for all humans." (Claire Fuller)

"This book is sensational. I am fascinated by the animals, as I thought I would be, but I am equally fascinated by the humans. The writing is so beautiful. The most natural writer there ever was. I MEAN IT!" (Laura Cumming)
All stars
Most relevant
A wide ranging journey through the story of the interactions between humans and animals.
A fantastic and sometimes uncomfortable listen that highlights the best and worst of us.

Sometimes shocking and always interesting.

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A fascinating, freewheeling and polemical romp through humans’ relationship with nature. Packed with fascinating vignettes (e.g Stellers Seacow and a leopard’s river crossing). But I found the lack of structure a little frustrating at times and some of the material eg relating to Darwin is a bit too well worn.

Fascinating, Freewheeling and Polemical

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I enjoyed and learned from every chapter.
Pippa Haywood reading performance enhanced the content. Highly recommended.

Best book of my year

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I enjoyed hearing this book enormously. I intend to replay it, possibly several times more.

superb book

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she knows exactly what is wrong with the world and our relationship with nature. 10/10 no notes

Sad at times but inspirational overall

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