This Ain't No Book About Nature...Or Is It?

With the passing of Farley Mowat this spring I decided it was high time to read one of his books since my eyes had never scanned a word that he ever wrote. I read 'Never Cry Wolf' and I enjoyed it immensely. I remember saying, at the time, that every Canadian should read that book.

Yesterday was a rainy day, quite miserable, so I decided to read another Farley Mowat book. 'And No Birds Sang' had been sitting unread in my house for about a month, and yesterday was the day. I presumed, from the title, that it was a book about the pitiful state state of the Canadian wilderness. Boy, was I wrong.

'And No Birds Sang' was an autobiographical account of Mowat's time as a soldier during World War 2. It was an account of his introduction into the army, subsequent dispatch to Great Britain for training and then ultimately his initiation to battle in Sicily and mainland Italy. Like 'Never Cry Wolf', everyone should read this book, particularly those who face challenges ahead.

Ultimately this book is about nature....human nature. And war. Neither of the two are all that attractive, but we can't deny their existence so we'd all be well served to do some advance reconnaissance. My suggestion? Read this book.