Follow the author

Timothy J. Roper

Follow

Badger: Book 114 (Collins New Naturalist Library) Hardcover – 27 May 2010

by Timothy J. Roper (Author)

4.9 30 ratings

Part of: Collins New Naturalist Library (37 books)

See all formats and editions

A comprehensive natural history of one of Britain’s favourite animals

The badger has for many years occupied a unique place in the British consciousness. Despite the fact that most people have never seen one, the badger has become one of Britain's best-loved animals. The number of organisations that use the badger as a logo, the number of websites featuring information about badgers, and the number of voluntary badger protection societies that exist are testament to this popularity.

In fact, the attitude of most ordinary people towards badgers is complex and contradictory, involving a combination of familiarity and ignorance, concern and indifference. For an increasing number of people, badgers constitute an important source of interest and pleasure, be it through watching them in their gardens or in the wild, sharing badger-related knowledge and experiences with others via the internet, or defending badgers against threats to their welfare. For others, on the other hand, badgers are a problem species that requires active management.

In this highly anticipated new study, Prof Tim Roper explores every aspects of the biology and behaviour of these fascinating animals. In doing so, he reveals the complexities of a lifestyle that allows badgers to build communities in an astonishing variety of habitats, ranging from pristine forests to city centres. He also reveals the facts behind the controversy surrounding the badgers' role in transmitting tuberculosis to cattle, shedding new light on an issue that has resulted in one of the most extensive wildlife research programmes ever carried out.

ISBN-10

0007320418
ISBN-13

978-0007320417
Edition

First Edition
Publisher

Collins
Publication date

27 May 2010
Part of series

Collins New Naturalist Library
Language

English
Dimensions

16.51 x 3.18 x 22.86 cm
Print length

416 pages
See all details

Best Selling | Lowest Price
George E. Pearce
65
Paperback
£18.31
Highest rated
Peter Thomas
42
Hardcover
£49.03
Michael Clark
49
Hardcover
9 offers from £14.00

Product description

Review

‘The series is an amazing achievement’
The Times Literary Supplement

‘The books are glorious to own’
Independent

About the Author

Prof Timothy J. Roper has been studying aspects of badger social and territorial behaviour for over twenty years. He has worked on projects in the UK (Sussex and Gloucestershire), Luxembourg and Belgium. He has been a Specialist Scientific Advisor to the House of Commons Agriculture Select Committee and contributed to a report by the Government Chief Scientific Advisor on bovine tuberculosis in badgers and cattle in 2007. Apart from trying to get his three young children interested in nature, music and books, his main avocations are food, wine, opera and American literature.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Collins; First Edition (27 May 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0007320418
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007320417
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 3.18 x 22.86 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 1,038,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 570 in Animal Behaviour Science
- 625 in Wild Mammals
- 723 in Animal Rights

Customer reviews:
4.9 30 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Timothy J. Roper

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5

30 global ratings

3 star

0%

2 star

0%

1 star

0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

moonraker

Outstanding monograph

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 September 2011

Verified Purchase

I approached this book not as a mammal specialist but out of a layman's curiosity, because, judging by the amount of sign visible, Badgers are common around my home and I thus wanted to know something of their lifestyle.

Professor Roper has skilfully synthesized a large amount of research and turned it into a clearly written and fascinating book. All aspects of the Badger's natural history (including such subjects as classification and diet/foraging behaviour) are clearly presented, while the final (tenth) chapter discusses the thorny issues of bovine TB and Badger culling. There is even an appendix on how to survey Badgers.

My only criticism concerns the Bibliography (though it's a criticism which to some may seem picky). For those books or papers with more than two authors, only the lead author is listed (thus for three or more it would be e.g. `Roper et al.'). For anyone interested in doing their own research, it would be much more useful to have all references listed in full.

In short, if you have any interest in Badgers or the natural history of the countryside, buy this book.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

David Sewell

Great book, that does not avoid controversy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 June 2010

Verified Purchase

It is 14 years since the last comparable book on badgers (Neal and Cheeseman, 1996) was published, and that this one is considerably larger reflects the great amount of research that has been carried out since that time. The book is divided into ten chapters, plus an appendix on how to survey for the species. The issue of badger culling is not avoided, indeed badgers and bovine TB gets a whole chapter to itself. The author manages to explain the pros and cons of the various approaches. For example, innoculating cows is obviously easier than innoculating badgers, but available vaccines are more effective on badgers than they are on cows.

Many years ago the New Naturalist series included a second series of monographs on single species. A book on badgers was the first of the monographs, just as the species is the first to get a book to itself in the main series. If further books on a single species can keep up this high standard I am sure that 'Badger' will not be the last time the publishers take this approach.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Podiceps cristatus

Wonderful addition to the New Naturalist Library

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2017

Verified Purchase

Believe me I give five stars only when they are fully deserved. This is a must read for anyone with the slightest interest in badgers, and also for all naturalists. This has been one of the most 'readable' New Naturalist editions I have come across and it is packed with quality illustrations in the form of photographs and diagrams. If like me you struggle to fully understand the complex issues of Bovine Tuberculosis then you will I think find that the last chapter of the book will clarify the issues in a very balanced manner, be it only up to 2010, the date of publication. A wonderful book.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Philip

Interested in badgers? A must have.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 May 2020

Verified Purchase

A superb appraisal of the state of knowledge (current 2010) from someone who knows their subject inside out. A little technical in places perhaps, but nevertheless an excellent resource that does not dodge the difficult questions, such as bovine tb.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 May 2015

Verified Purchase

Book is suitable for the needs it is required for.

Helpful

J C

this is a great book to buy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 May 2015

Verified Purchase

About as complete a review of the natural history of the badger as you can find. I also found it was written in a style that could be followed by a reasonably informed amateur. If you want to know about badgers, this is a great book to buy. The only caveat I would add is that it is quite lengthy (not a problem in my view) but be aware this is not a 'short introduction' of a book, it is a serious academic study. That said I'm very glad I bought it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Bill H

You won't find a better, readable, study of badgers anywhere.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 November 2013

Verified Purchase

Badgers have always had a place in my heart - even though I've never seen one in the flesh. What this book does is bring the badgers to you in a reader-friendly way. It covers everything you need to know about this wonderful creature (in my view, it should be our national animal - Britain's, that is). It's not cheap, but neither is the work that has gone into it. The quality of the materials used in the book's construction is also top notch. If you want to know about badgers, bite the bullet and buy it. You won't regret it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

mic

everything you need to know

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 January 2020

Verified Purchase

The most informed book on badgers

Helpful

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	AbeBooks Books, art & collectables	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Download Audiobooks	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	Amazon Home Services Experienced pros Happiness Guarantee	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities

Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	Amazon Warehouse Deep Discounts Open-Box Products	Amazon Business Service for business customers

	Whole Foods Market We Believe in Real Food

Image Unavailable

Follow the author

Badger: Book 114 (Collins New Naturalist Library) Hardcover – 27 May 2010

What do customers buy after viewing this item?

Product description

Review

About the Author

Product details

About the author

Timothy J. Roper

Customer reviews

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.