The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland (2nd Edition)

[Andy.bn]

To add to the earlier comments, I have had this marvellous book for a few days now, and it is a great piece of work. You feel as though you are being guided through the British species by real experts, yet in an easy to absorb way. The quality shines through from the informed and fascinating text, complemented by beautifully detailed and accurate artwork.
I delved in at random, and began learning new things about different species straight away. If I were to have only one butterfly book on the shelves it would be this one.

[Susie]

I finally bit the bullet and ordered my copy.

[walpolec]

Susie, I know you won't be disappointed. I got mine last week and I'm finding it to be superb. A great mix of essential factual information and thoroughly interesting anecdotes.

Awesome!

Chris

[Susie]

You are right. It arrived on Saturday and it's really lovely.

[Rogerdodge]

I know we are all raving about this book - and rightly so, but I think I have found an error.
On page 212, High Brown Fritillary, it says-
"Only ten years ago it was possible for The Millennium Atlas to state that Exmoor was one of the three British Strongholds for this butterfly, yet four years later it was extinct in the National Park"
I have watched HBF on Exmoor every year since the early 1980s. They have never been extinct around Heddons Mouth, but have disappeared from other sites, such as Room Hill. The numbers at Heddons Valley have fluctuated greatly, and some years I saw very few adults.
However, and in no small part due to the work of local Conservation Volunteers, and the National Trust, numbers in this area are now very good, as NickB will confirm after I showed him around this summer past.
Unless I am misinterpretating this passage I think it needs correcting in the second edition.
p.s. It is still the best butterfly book EVER!!

[NickB]

Indeed; last year HBFs were in the 10s in the 3 meadows just down from the pub at the end of June and elsewhere in that valley. HBF, SWF in plenty and a number of DGF too. I had no confirmed sightings of HBF in my brief visits last year elsewhere in the Park, but did see SWF in a few other locations
I don't know, but is Heddon's Mouth "technically" in the National Park...?
...not to split boundaries and hairs and everything
N

It is a great book;given the scale and complexity of the task, the accuracy of the information is to be only applauded

[Ian Pratt]

Great book as far as I have seen, as the copy that has been bought for me by my children for Fathers' Day has been hidden until June!

[Nicola Main]

Does anyone know if there will be a paperback edition of this book? I already have the Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland which looks basically the same but in a smaller format. Is there any point in spending £20 odd on ordering this book as well?

[Pete Eeles]

Does anyone know if there will be a paperback edition of this book? I already have the Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland which looks basically the same but in a smaller format. Is there any point in spending £20 odd on ordering this book as well?

Hi Nicola,

This books goes much much deeper on the topic, with more illustrations too. It's not a pocket guide and I wouldn't expect to see a paperback version any time soon (it's not a book you'd take in the field). If you're at all interested in British butterflies then you really need this book! It's definitely not a large-format version of the pocket guide!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Nicola Main]

Thanks Pete for your quick reply I was expecting to wait a while. Sounds interesting might invest in a copy then. Nice to note that proceeds go to Butterfly Conservation too

[lee3764]

This will be the best £22 odd that you ever spend on a book about Butterflies! BUY IT!!!!!!!
Lee (Cornwall).

[A_T]

What a great book. Full of information and wonderful Richard Lewington illustrations.

[Nicola Main]

Have finally bitten the bullet and ordered a copy

[Neil Freeman]

I have recently re-discovered my childhood interest in Butterflies now that my kids are grown up and I have a bit more time on my hands. I was looking for an up to date book on British Butterflies since my only other surviving book is an 1989 edition of the Hamlyn Guide to Butterflies of the British Isles.
After reading some good reviews of the 2nd edition of The Butterfies of Britain & Ireland I decided to order it from Amazon and recieved my copy a few days ago. Well, what can I say, almost every minute that I am not at work has been spent reading this book.
My own opinion, for what it is worth, is that it is everything that I hoped that it would be and more.
Highly recommended.

[David M]

I got a copy last month. It's excellent; not too scientific yet more in depth than what you'd find in a general butterfly guide. It's a great balance.

[Nicola Main]

Received my copy yesterday and what a lovely, lovely book! Beautiful. This will be cherished forever!

[Dave McCormick]

Just got one today, definatly a great book, will definatly be looking after this one

[Dave McCormick]

I was just reading through this book yesterday and noticed something missing, no information (or image) of hibernica subspecies of Orange-Tip. On other species, the subspecies are mentioned (if there is any), but not that one.