His Imperial Majesty

A Natural History of the Purple Emperor

His Imperial Majesty
Matthew Oates
RRP:
NZ$ 22.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 18.39
Paperback
h198 x 129mm - 416pg
10 Jun 2021 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9781472950161
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
When summer is at its zenith and the sallow foliage develops a bluish tinge, a giant butterfly - beautiful, bold and brazen - flies powerfully over the tree canopy. Females of this species, wary yet determined, haunt the sallow thickets, depositing their eggs, while the males establish treetop territories and descend to the woodland floor in search of indelicacies to feed upon. Mysterious, elusive and enthralling in equal measure, this is the butterfly that Victorian collectors yearned for above all others: His Imperial Majesty, the Purple Emperor. A wondrous enigma, the Purple Emperor is our most elusive and least-known butterfly - we glimpse it only through fissures in its treetop world, yet this giant insect has fascinated us for centuries and has even inspired its own 'Emperoring' language. Matthew Oates became captivated by the Purple Emperor following his first sighting as a boy. He has studied it assiduously ever since, devoting his life to trying to unravel the Emperor's secrets. His Imperial Majesty takes us on a journey, beginning with a dalliance into the bizarre history of our engagement with the butterfly, with daring doings and gross eccentricities from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Subsequent chapters explore all aspects of this remarkable butterfly's life cycle, including behaviour, habitat preferences, life history and conservation, all relayed in Matthew's unique, informative and witty style. Not so long ago, our knowledge of the Emperor was largely based on a blend of mythology and assumption. This book dispels the fabrications and reveals all about the Purple Emperor - the king of British butterflies.
One of the greatest naturalists of our time, Matthew is also one of science's most articulate and generous communicators, the kind of champion nature needs now more than ever. -- Isabella Tree, author of Wildling
Dogbarking wood, cherry-pickers, shrimp paste, caterpillars called Sir Cloudesley Shovell - this monumental, transcendent, hilarious book is a natural history like no other. This profound work of genius brings us alive to the pulsating wonder of an English woodland in June - to life, the universe and everything. -- Patrick Barkham, author of The Butterfly Isles
Matthew Oates's beautification of one of our most - he would say the most - spectacular insects is a total delight. In prose which soars as high as its subject, he blends mythology, history, biology and exceptional field skills to create the ultimate butterfly biography. -- Brett Westwood, presenter and author
Matthew Oates is a naturalist, writer and poet who has been obsessed by Britain's butterflies since he was at school. Intimately acquainted with all Britain's native species, he has conducted most of his research on the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Mountain Ringlet and Duke of Burgundy; his experiences are summarised in his previous book, In Pursuit of Butterflies. But no butterfly has entranced him as much as the elusive Purple Emperor - a butterfly we now understand much better thanks to his detailed and tireless observations. Matthew retired from his post as National Specialist on Nature with the National Trust in 2018, and dedicated his retirement to ensuring the future of his favourite butterfly. He writes regularly for The Times Nature Notebook column and in magazines, and lives on the Gloucestershire-Wiltshire border.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781472950161
Published: 10 Jun 2021
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Wildlife
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback
Height: 198mm
Width: 129mm
Pages: 416

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