Gone: Stories of Extinction "Really, really well written" says Chris Packham

Michael Blencowe has written a book called "Gone," which explores the backstories of eleven extinct animals from around the world. The book is filled with stunning artwork that brings these forgotten creatures to life, and each chapter focuses on a different animal, revealing insights into their unique characteristics and habitats. Blencowe inspects the only known remains of a Huia egg at Te Papa, views hundreds of specimens of deceased Galapagos tortoises and Xerces Blue butterflies in the California Academy of Sciences, and pays his respects to the only soft tissue remains of the Dodo in the world. The book is a warm, wry, and thought-provoking exploration of the causes of extinction and how we can learn from these stories to protect our planet and its incredible wildlife.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 05 April 2022
Publisher: Aurum Press

Dynamic naturalist Michael Blencowe has traversed the globe in search of the captivating histories of eleven extinct animals, which he presents with charm and insight in his book, "Gone."

Inspired by his childhood fascination with extinct species, Blencowe takes us on a journey around the globe, visiting places such as the forests of New Zealand, the ferries of Finland, the urban sprawl of San Francisco, and even an inflatable crocodile on Brighton's Widewater Lagoon. Spanning five centuries, from the last sighting of New Zealand's Upland Moa to the 2012 death of the Pinta Island Giant Tortoise, Lonesome George, his memoir is filled with accounts of the hunters and naturalists of the past, as well as revealing conversations with the custodians of these totemic animals today.

Featuring striking artworks that resurrect these forgotten creatures, each chapter focuses on a different animal, revealing insights into their unique characteristics and habitats; the history of their discovery and how and when they came to be lost to us. Blencowe inspects the only known remains of a Huia egg at Te Papa, New Zealand; views hundreds of specimens of deceased Galapagos tortoises and Xerces Blue butterflies in the California Academy of Sciences; and pays his respects to the only soft tissue remains of the Dodo in the world.

Warm, wry, and thought-provoking, "Gone" demonstrates that while each extinction story is different, all can inform how we live in the future. Discover and learn from the stories of the Great Auk, a majestic flightless seabird of the North Atlantic and the "original penguin." The Spectacled Cormorant, the "ludicrous bird from the remote islands of the Bering Sea." The Stellers Sea Cow, an incredible ten-tonne dugong wit.

Weight: 232g
Dimension: 129 x 197 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780711276925