There have been greater naturalists than Gilbert White; but there must be few whose writings have been compressed in so small a space as 100,000 words, yet have been through perhaps 144 editions. Here, indeed, in-his century-old appeal to the common reader, is the Secret of White's celebrity, tits original discoveries were not Unimportant, as James Fisher reminds us OF SELBOURNE (which is confined to the Letters ) but his greatness lies in the general atmosphere of his work., His simplest observationssubtly convey the reader into the true heart of the Engglish countryside, into a world untroubled by wars and peopled by creatures gentler than man. White's Selbourne" was never better reading, and more repaying, than in this, day. the pleasant illustrations to this edition are by Clare Leighton.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24699, 30 August 1941, Page 4

There have been greater naturalists than Gilbert White; but there must be few whose writings have been compressed in so small a space as 100,000 words, yet have been through perhaps 144 editions. Here, indeed, in-his century-old appeal to the common reader, is the Secret of White's celebrity, tits original discoveries were not Unimportant, as James Fisher reminds us OF SELBOURNE (which is confined to the Letters ) but his greatness lies in the general atmosphere of his work., His simplest observationssubtly convey the reader into the true heart of the Engglish countryside, into a world untroubled by wars and peopled by creatures gentler than man. White's Selbourne" was never better reading, and more repaying, than in this, day. the pleasant illustrations to this edition are by Clare Leighton.