Autumn 2010
The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland Written by Jeremy Thomas and illustrated by Richard Lewington British Wildlife Publishing A review by David Tomlinson There are a rich variety of butterfly books on my shelves, but if I was to be limited to just one, I’ve no doubt whatsoever which it would be: The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland, written by Jeremy Thomas and illustrated by Richard Lewington. I acquired my original copy, a review book, in 1991, and was deeply impressed. At the time I was a member of the judging panel for the Natural World natural history book of the year award, and I was a prime mover in ensuring that this was the title that won that year. Not that my fellow judges needed much persuading, for this was a volume that combined beautifully written and informative essays with delightful illustrations. Few people know more about Britain’s butterflies than Professor Thomas, while Richard Lewington is arguably the best butterfly illustrator ever. The original edition, published by Dorling Kindersley, was limited to just 20,000 copies, and it sold out quickly. Somewhat inexplicably, the publishers decided not to reprint, so for the last 15 years or so the only way you could get hold of a copy was by scouring the shelves of second-hand bookshops. My own copy, signed by both artist and author, is in surprisingly good condition considering how often is has been
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referred to. It was a great source of both information and inspiration when I was working on the text for Britain’s Butterflies (see page 12), while I’ve frequently dipped into it when planning a trip to see a specific butterfly, such as Swallowtail in the Broads, or after a successful expedition, such as having watched Purple Emperors in Rockingham Forest. Now, at long last, we have a revised second edition. It’s just as handsome a production as the original, but it is a more conventional shape, which means that it will sit more happily on your bookshelf. The same exquisite essays are there, but each one has been revised and updated, as a lot has happened to our butterflies in the last two decades. Take the Large Blue for example. In the original edition we read: “it is still uncertain whether we will be able to maintain this colony permanently [Thomas was referring to the original introduction], or succeed in our ambition of re-establishing on another five formal sites, but the initial results are encouraging”. In the second edition, under the subtitle A conservation success, we learn just how successful this reintroduction has been, with more than 25 colonies now in the west country.
