The Sunday Times Books section devoted a whole page to a review of What a Hazard a Letter is, and a wonderfully positive review by Christopher Hart it was too. Here is the full text, and here is a taste:
‘A curious, astute and entertaining collection of famous unsent, unreceived (and a few unwritten) letters in history and literature… Some of the most heartbreaking are imaginary… But others still, wild and dashed-off as they might seem, are literature of the highest order… This utterly original compilation takes in Saul Bellow’s manic letter-writer Moses Herzog, television’s The Young Ones and the wily response of John F Kennedy to Nikita Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis… A charming book, witty, original and wise.’
The London Naturalist reviews London's Street Trees and Birdwatching London
The annual journal of the distinguished London Natural History Society, the London Naturalist, has reviewed both London’s Street Trees and Birdwatching London at length. Of Street Trees it praises the photographs as ‘excellent’, and concludes: ‘It deserves to remain in print and . . . if you are looking for a general interest festive stocking-filler, this book will certainly merit inclusion.’
Of Birdwatching London the reviewer writes that ‘For a reasonable price, there is a huge amount of information, and inspiration, in this book. Newcomers to birding or to London will find it particularly helpful in helping develop their interest. . . London birders will find this a very enjoyable and useful book.’
The Londonist features Birdwatching London
The popular Londonist website is running a strking feature on ‘The Ten Most Unlikely Birdwatching Spots in London’, based on David Darrell-Lambert’s book.
London's Street Trees reviewed in Natural History Museum's magazine
The Natural History Museum - in whose gift shop both London’s Street Trees and Birdwatching London are on sale - has now reviewed Paul Wood’s book in its magazine, and praises ‘an easy to follow, thoroughly researched and detailed book, with enough depth for the tree enthusiasts among us as well as the casual observer.’ It is, the Museum concludes, ‘a worthwhile addition to any bookshelf’.
A great review for What a Hazard a Letter is from Bel Mooney in the Daily Mail
Bel Mooney has given What a Hazard a Letter is a long and enthusiastic review on the Books page of the Daily Mail, praising it as a ‘gloriously varied collection’ and full of ‘fascinating pages’.
A full house at Daunt's in Hampstead for Birdwatching London
David Darrell-Lambert’s birding walk from Daunt’s Hampstead Heath branch in August, up onto the Heath and over Parliament Hill, was such a success that he was invited back for an evening talk. Last night a sell-out audience, following similar successful evenings at Ink@84 and Stanfords, saw him give a hugely entertaining and funny talk, which prompted a host of questions and then sales of a lot of signed copies. Next stop currently the Bookseller Crow in Peckham on 13 December…
What a Hazard a Letter is in good company at the Wimbledon Bookshop
Top birders' website Surfbirds reviews Birdwatching London
The worldwide birders’ website Surfbirds has just reviewed Birdwatching London as ‘A lovely, almost pocket-sized, guide to the best birding sites in the London area that will encourage more of us to see beyond our city into the woods, wetlands and grasslands where a whole new world of birdwatching awaits us.’ It goes on: ‘This book is clearly aimed at the general birdwatcher and those with an interest in natural history and will, I am sure, encourage more Londoners to look beyond the tower blocks and street vendors to see something of the birdlife that shares our great city. The author’s infectious enthusiasm for birds and birdwatching comes through every page.’
The Mail On Sunday's YOU magazine picks What a Hazard a Letter is
The Mail on Sunday’s YOU Magazine has chosen What a Hazard a Letter is on its website as one of its ‘five compelling releases of the season’ and hailed it as ‘A perfect Christmas present’.
A review of Birdwatching London in Wild London
The London Wildlife Trust's magazine, Wild London, reviews Birdwatching London in its latest issue, praising it as 'a great guide for the amateur birder, an ornithological tour of the capital's woodlands, wetlands, parks and post-industrial backwaters'.