The 2025 paperback reissue under the John Murray Classics banner features a new foreword by Dara McAnulty.
In 1954, a young television presenter was offered the opportunity of a lifetime – to travel the world finding rare and elusive animals for London Zoo's collection, and to film the expeditions for the BBC. His name was David Attenborough, and the programme, Zoo Quest, not only heralded the start of a remarkable career in broadcasting, but changed the way we viewed the natural world forever. Written with his trademark wit and charm, Adventures of a Young Naturalist is not just the story of a remarkable adventure, but of the man who made us fall in love with the natural world, and who is still doing so today.
This book is a reprint of the 1980 book The Zoo Quest Expeditions: Travels in Guyana, Indonesia and Paraguay, which was published by The Lutterworth Press, which in turn was an abridged volume of the original three Zoo Quest books that were published in 1956, 1957 and 1959.
Sir David Attenborough is a broadcaster and naturalist, whose television career is now in its seventh decade. His latest programme, Planet Earth II, was the most-watched nature documentary of all time.
A marvellous book ... unputdownable ... utterly engaging. * Telegraph *
An elegant and gently funny writer. * The Times *
This is a great book for anyone who wants to vicariously travel like an old-fashioned adventurer and seeks to understand how far we have come in developing a protective attitude to wildlife * New York Times *
Utterly engaging . . . immensely colourful and dramatic * Daily Mail *
A beautiful new edition ... of our favourite naturalist's account of his travels for the BBC * Mail on Sunday *
Full of Attenborough's trademark enthusiasm, wit and intelligence, it's a natural history fan's treat. * Sunday Express *
His writing is as impressive and as enjoyable as his TV programmes and there can be no higher praise. * Daily Express *
A great educator as well as a great naturalist. * Barack Obama *
Sir David is a wizard of television, and, like Gandalf or Dumbledore, he has a near-magical gift for combining warmth and gravitas . . . the man who, for me, exemplifies the best in British broadcasting. * Louis Theroux *
When I was a young boy I used to love turning on the television and watching David's programmes and really feeling like I was either back out in Africa or I was learning about something magical and almost out of this planet * Prince William *
A charming period piece * Times *
A marvellous book ... unputdownable ... utterly engaging. * Telegraph *
An elegant and gently funny writer. * The Times *
This is a great book for anyone who wants to vicariously travel like an old-fashioned adventurer and seeks to understand how far we have come in developing a protective attitude to wildlife * New York Times *
Utterly engaging . . . immensely colourful and dramatic * Daily Mail *
A beautiful new edition ... of our favourite naturalist's account of his travels for the BBC * Mail on Sunday *
Full of Attenborough's trademark enthusiasm, wit and intelligence, it's a natural history fan's treat. * Sunday Express *
His writing is as impressive and as enjoyable as his TV programmes and there can be no higher praise. * Daily Express *
A great educator as well as a great naturalist. * Barack Obama *
Sir David is a wizard of television, and, like Gandalf or Dumbledore, he has a near-magical gift for combining warmth and gravitas . . . the man who, for me, exemplifies the best in British broadcasting. * Louis Theroux *
When I was a young boy I used to love turning on the television and watching David's programmes and really feeling like I was either back out in Africa or I was learning about something magical and almost out of this planet * Prince William *
A charming period piece * Times *
A marvellous book ... unputdownable ... utterly engaging. * Telegraph *
An elegant and gently funny writer. * The Times *
This is a great book for anyone who wants to vicariously travel like an old-fashioned adventurer and seeks to understand how far we have come in developing a protective attitude to wildlife * New York Times *
Utterly engaging . . . immensely colourful and dramatic * Daily Mail *
A beautiful new edition ... of our favourite naturalist's account of his travels for the BBC * Mail on Sunday *
Full of Attenborough's trademark enthusiasm, wit and intelligence, it's a natural history fan's treat. * Sunday Express *
His writing is as impressive and as enjoyable as his TV programmes and there can be no higher praise. * Daily Express *
A great educator as well as a great naturalist. * Barack Obama *
Sir David is a wizard of television, and, like Gandalf or Dumbledore, he has a near-magical gift for combining warmth and gravitas . . . the man who, for me, exemplifies the best in British broadcasting. * Louis Theroux *
When I was a young boy I used to love turning on the television and watching David's programmes and really feeling like I was either back out in Africa or I was learning about something magical and almost out of this planet * Prince William *
A charming period piece * Times *