Avian Illuminations: A Cultural History of Birds

Avian Illuminations explores the diverse roles birds have played in human society, from food and messengers to omens and cultural symbols. It highlights the historical relationship between humans and birds, including their nesting habits, flight, and influence on inventors. The book emphasizes the interconnectedness between birds and humans, suggesting that a world without birds would undermine human culture.

Format: Hardback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 13 September 2021
Publisher: Reaktion Books

Avian Illuminations delves into the diverse roles that birds have played in human society throughout history, encompassing a wide range of functions from sustenance and messengers to deities and beloved pets. These magnificent creatures have also served as omens, muses, timekeepers, guardians, hunting companions, decorative motifs, and, most importantly, embodiments of our aspirations. The book chronicles the intricate history of our interactions with a multitude of birds, including crows, owls, parrots, falcons, eagles, nightingales, hummingbirds, and many more. Along the way, it explores how birds' nesting has symbolized human romance, how their flight has inspired inventors throughout history, and ultimately concludes that the interconnections between birds and humans are so profound that the absence of birds would effectively lead to the demise of human culture itself. Beautifully illustrated, this comprehensive overview offers a captivating glimpse into the long and rich association between humans and their feathered companions.

Weight: 1170g
Dimension: 166 x 241 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789144321