I mean, you just can't help but love this guy and everyone he works with whom he develops an affection for. This is where that interest led. Beasts in My Belfry is a wonderfully entertaining memoir for anyone who loves animals and a life lived with great purpose. I'm on a roll here, can't stop. Fans of the PBS Masterpiece series, The Durrells in Corfu, know Gerald Durrell as a young boy with endless curiosity about animals. This book summarises his notes from his first job at Whipsnade Zoo where he was able to make his first observations of wild animals, recognise that zoos needed to become breeding grounds for endangered species and determined his life's goal. Pleasant surprise, audiobook, I knew nothing about this when I checked it out. Nonpareil Books. Start by marking “Beasts in My Belfry” as Want to Read: Error rating book. ‎Beasts in My Belfry is the wonderfully funny memoir about Gerald Durrell’s time at Whipsnade Zoo and his experiences as a young zookeeper. When he was not prowling about in a filthy temper he was indulging in his ‘joke’ of jumping out suddenly at unsuspecting passers-by and getting a sardonic pleasure out of their panic.’, A hilarious record that no Durrell fan will want to miss. Over a year, we encounter a typically absurd cast – including Albert the lion, who's a dab hand at ventriloquism, and Teddy the brown bear, with whom the young Durrell sings duets. Product Details; About the Author; Product Details. Previous page. 27664. - Sunday Telegraph, Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell was born in India in 1925. English. Save $ 5.32! Instead it's a book about learning to be a zookeeper just after WW2 and it's very funny - I was laughing aloud by the end of the 3rd page. He wants to gain experience learning how to care for and observe animals and is a little deflated when things at the zoo seem to run in more of a traditional and less scientific manner. Paperback. The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an international conservation charity with headquarters in Jersey, UK. So in 1945 he joined Whipsnade—a new concept in open-range animal exhibits—as a student keeper, with Albert the lion, Babs the polar bear, and a baby Père David’s deer among his first charges. . The book is full of larger-than-life animal characters: the bear who sang operatic arias with one paw clasped to his breast, his bosom friend Billy the goat, playful zebras, and a host of equally endearing and memorable critters. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Beasts in My Belfry by Gerald Durrell (Paperback, 1976) at the best online prices at eBay! Beasts in My Belfry GOOD. Beasts in My Belfry is the wonderfully funny memoir about Gerald Durrell's time at Whipsnade Zoo and his experiences as a young zookeeper. From the title alone, I thought this was about Aunts. The solution was to find another, more permanent outlet for his passion. Following the Second World War, Durrell joined Whipsnade Zoo as a junior keeper – an opportunity that fu It's a lot of fun to read about them. This was incorrect, nary an aunt is featured. Great writer and fun story (particularly if you like animals). Beasts in My Belfry is a wonderfully entertaining memoir for anyone who loves animals and a life lived with great purpose. Beasts in My Belfry by Gerald Durrell. 0.227. He was sulky, blustery and devoid of any finer feelings whatsoever. Be the first to review this product. Loved the descriptive storyline with regard to the animals encountered, but found the writing style childlike, and wanted him to get to the point at times. Refresh and try again. Add to Cart Buy Now Add to Wishlist. Published by Pan 12/01/2017 (2017) ISBN 10: 1509815368 ISBN 13: 9781509815364. In this entertaining history, he recaptures all the passion that permeated those early years, while conveying his insight into and affection for both four- and two-footed creatures. Be the first to ask a question about Beasts in My Belfry. I will have to read more about the Durells, and maybe watch the BBC show. Following the Second World War, Durrell joined Whipsnade Zoo as a junior keeper – an opportunity that fulfilled a lifelong dream. Over a year, we encounter a typically absurd cast – including Albert the lion, who's a dab hand at ventriloquism, and Teddy the brown bear, with whom the young Durrell sings duets. In "Beasts in My Belfry" (published in America as "A Bevy of Beasts") Durrell writes about his time working at the Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. ISBN-13: 9781982653446: Publisher: Naxos: Publication date: 03/08/2019: Edition description: Unabridged: Product dimensions: Gerry has grown up a bit and gets his first zoo job at Whipsnade Zoo in England in 1945. He wants to gain experience learning how to care for and observe animals and is a little deflated when things at the zoo seem to run in more of a traditional and less scientific manner. Following the Second World War, Durrell joined Whipsnade Zoo as a junior keeper - an opportunity that fulfilled a lifelong dream. Beasts in My Belfry is a charming account of Gerald Durrell's first job in 1945 as a student keeper at Whipsnade Zoo. Loved this one! There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Beasts in My Belfry is the wonderfully funny memoir about Gerald Durrell’s time at Whipsnade Zoo and his experiences as a young zookeeper. He once again points out the importance of conservation efforts, using examples such as the Pere David Deer and the Hawaiian goose. From the age of two, he was fascinated by zoology, over the years assembling a large, and not altogether savory, collection of pets, strays, and specimens. Beasts in My Belfry is a charming account of Gerald Durrell's first job in 1945 as a student keeper at Whipsnade Zoo. Publication date. In 1945, young zoologist, Gerald Durrell, finally came to work at his first actual zoo; Whipsnade Zoo—then a new concept in open-range animal exhibits—where Durrell joined in as a student keeper with Albert the lion, Babs the polar bear, and a baby deer among his first charges. . Buy Beasts in My Belfry Illustrated edition by Durrell, Gerald (ISBN: 9780002111782) from Amazon's Book Store. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Over a year, we encounter a typically absurd cast - including Albert the lion, who's a dab hand at ventriloquism, and Teddy the brown bear, with whom the young Durrell sings duets. —The Times, A hilarious record that no Durrell fan will want to miss. ‘After some weeks’ association with Albert I decided that he did not in any way measure up to the popular estimation of what a lion should be. Beasts in My Belfry is a wonderfully entertaining memoir for anyone who loves animals and a life lived with great purpose. Free delivery for many products! November 1990 Item Price $ 11.32 $ 8.49. He was sulky, blustery and devoid of any finer feelings whatsoever. Nice light read with some up beat animal lover stories. Following the Second World War, D.Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Even so, it was a lovely read, as Durrell takes us through his experiences as a young zoo keeper. A loving chronicle of jitter-bugging gnus, singing duets with a bear, stealing eggs to feed the Arctic foxes, practicing tiger sniffs . R42.00. Highly entertaining and informative. Beasts in My Belfry (Pan Heritage Classics) Gerald Durrell. If this is so, then I am an exceptionally lucky person, for at the age of two I made up my mind quite firmly and unequivocally that the only thing I … This is an account of his experience as a student keeper at the Whipsnade Zoo in 1945 and includes priceless recollections of singing bears, tigers, sulky lions, camels, giraffes, and many others. Delightful! We have provided the new, used, out-of-print, and antiquarian independent bookseller with a full ecommerce bookstore solution since 2001. Beasts in My Belfry is the wonderfully funny memoir about Gerald Durrell’s time at Whipsnade Zoo and his experiences as a young zookeeper. Book Review: A Bevy of Beasts/Beasts in My Belfry “They say that a child who aspires to be an engine driver very rarely grows up to fill that role in life. Calculate Shipping Cost. The other zookeepers are too good to be true, especially Captain Beale. Beasts in My Belfry is the wonderfully funny memoir about Gerald Durrell’s time at Whipsnade Zoo and his experiences as a young zookeeper. Add to Cart. An amazing man. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Durrell joined Whipsnade Zoo as a junior keeper. In this entertaining history, he recaptures all the passion that permeated those early years, while conveying his insight into and affection for four-footed creatures. Following the Second World War, Durrell joined Whipsnade Zoo as a junior keeper – an opportunity that fulfilled a lifelong dream. SKU. A trip back in time to how zoos and zookeepers worked. I love Gerald Durrell's writing- he is hilarious. The eager young Durrell observes his co-workers and animal charges alike, including Albert, the ventriloquist lion, … These 2 species, once on the brink of extinction have been reintroduced to their natural habitat as they have been bred in colonies by trusts or otherwise. Beasts in My Belfry Read by Rupert Degas unabridged. Over a year, we encounter a typically absurd cast - including Albert the lion, who's a dab hand at ventriloquism, and Teddy the brown bear, with whom the young Durrell sings duets. From the time they lived on the island of Corfu, Gerald Durrell’s family hoped he’d outgrow his love of animals. The book is full of larger-than-life animal characters: the bear who sang operatic arias with one paw clasped to his breast, his bosom friend Billy the goat, playful zebras, and a host of equally endearing and memorable critters. Click to read more about Beasts in My Belfry by Gerald Durrell. Beasts in My Belfry is the wonderfully funny memoir about Gerald Durrell's time at Whipsnade Zoo and his experiences as a young zookeeper. Instead he became a zoologist and worldwide conservation hero. BEASTS IN MY BELFRY GERALD DURRELL Over a year at Whipsnade Zoo we encounter a typically absurd cast including Albert the lion, who's a dab hand at ventriloquism, and Teddy the brown bear, with whom the young Durrell sings duets. The captain was a gem of a character and so were the animals that Durrell worked with. His small, golden eyes always had in them an expression of baffled rage; it seemed that he was trying to uphold his race’s reputation for fierceness but could not remember why. He was funny; he could turn an amazing phrase; he never took himself too seriously; he wrote about animals; and he wanted to make the world a better place by minimizing extinction. I'm on a roll here, can't stop. Beasts in My Belfry is a charming account of Gerald Durrell's first job in 1945 as a student keeper at Whipsnade Zoo. Beneficence selected by Maine Public’s All Books Considered Book Club. An amusing and informative read about the time Gerald Durrell spent at Whipsnade Zoo as a student keeper. Spine creases, wear to binding and pages from reading. Ship to. The tales weren't quite as funny nor the scene quite as set as in the earlier work; one does get the impression that this is a work by a good author, written at a time other than his prime. LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers Not as good as my first of his books, A Zoo in My Luggage, but it was still an always delightful read filled with funny anecdotes and details about the raising of animals, like giraffes (don't stand behind one), tigers (I pictured a cat playing with a mouse before eating it as he described the tiger's play), polar bears.