Books with author William Henry Lowe Watson

The opening chapter contains, by way of introduction, all that need be said concerning the object and scope of this work; it remains to say here that, as my aim has been to furnish an account of the London wild bird life of to-day, there was little help to be had from the writings of previous observers. These mostly deal with the central parks, and are interesting now, mainly, as showing the changes that have taken place. At the end of the volume a list will be found of the papers and books on the subject which are known to me. This list will strike many readers as an exceedingly meagre one, when it is remembered that London has always been a home of ornithologists—that from the days of Oliver Goldsmith, who wrote pleasantly of the Temple Gardens rookery, and of Thomas Pennant and his friend Daines Barrington, there have never been wanting observers of the wild bird life within our gates: The fact remains that, with the exception of a few incidental passages to be found in various ornithological works, nothing was expressly written about the birds of London until James Jennings’s ‘Ornithologia’ saw the light a little over seventy years ago. Jennings’s work was a poem, probably the worst ever written in the English language; but as he inserted copious notes, fortunately in prose, embodying his own observations on the bird life of east and south-east London, the book has a very considerable interest for us to-day. Nothing more of importance appeared until the late Shirley Hibberd’s lively paper on ‘London Birds’ in 1865. From that date onward the subject has attracted an increased attention, and at present we have a number of London or park naturalists, as they might be called, who view the resident London species as adapted to an urban life, and who chronicle their observations in the ‘Field,’ ‘Nature,’ ‘Zoologist,’ ‘Nature Notes,’ and other natural history journals, and in the newspapers and magazines. To return to the present work. Treating of actualities I have been obliged for the most part to gather my own materials, relying perhaps too much on my own observation; since London is now too vast a field for any person, however diligent, to know it intimately in all its extent. Probably any reader who is an observer of birds on his own account, and has resided for some years near a park or other open space in London, will be able to say, by way of criticism, that I have omitted some important or interesting fact known to him—something that ought to have had a place in a work of this kind. In such a case I can only plead either that the fact was not known to me, or that I had some good reason for not using it. Moreover, there is a limit to the amount of matter which can be included in a book of this kind, and a selection had to be made from a large number of facts and anecdotes I had got together. All the matter contained in this book, with the exception of one article, or part of an article, on London birds, in the ‘Saturday Review,’ now appears for the first time

"The autobiography of the author of 'Green Mansions,' 'The Purple Land' and 'Adventures Among Birds' is all that one could ask it to be. For this writer's childhood and youth were spent on the pampas of South America, so colorfully painted in his later essays and stories. He writes of the varied aspects of the plain; of the romantic and picturesque figures, landowners and cattle breeders, who were neighbors; of the first visit to Buenos Ayres; of the springtime that comes in August; and, above all, of his childish love for birds. The biography carries him through first youth to the edge of manhood, but it is particularly rich in its recollection of early childhood, from the fifth to the seventh years." -Book Review Digest "Mr. Hudson's account of his early years is in many ways like a mixture of a Conrad novel and Robinson Crusoe. His small boy's eyes were the eyes of an explorer. Most books of reminiscences are for old people. This book of Mr. Hudson's is equally for the young." -Anthaneum "Seldom are youthful reminiscences recounted with greater dignity, beauty and vividness. The adventures of the spirit, too, are no less vivid than the daily life with his brothers, and the sympathy between mother and son is tenderly portrayed." -The Nation "A biography which can scarcely fail to become a classic of self-revelation. The tale is told with the art which is so much instinct that it appears mere effortless ease." -Margaret Ashmun in The Bookman "In 'Far Away and Long Ago' he has written a book that takes it place at once among the classics of autobiography." -Edwin Francis Edgett in the Boston Transcript "The book deserves a place on any shelf of biography alongside 'The Story of My Heart' by the English naturalist, Richard Jefferies." -Outlook "Mr. Hudson's method of describing his loved birds is singularly like that of Fabre with his insects. The same friendly simplicity is seen in both; Mr. Hudson, like Fabre, seems to take the reader by the hand and lead him into the midst of his discoveries." -Marguerite Fellows in the Publishers Weekly "One is reluctant to apply to Mr. Hudson's book those terms of praise which are bestowed upon literary and artistic merit, though needless to say it possesses both. One does not want to recommend it as a book so much as to greet it as a person, and not the clipped and imperfect person of ordinary autobiography, but the whole and complete person whom we meet rarely enough in life or in literature." -London Times Literary Supplement "Anybody who is not already in the middle of a book ought to lose no time in beginning on W. H. Hudson's 'Far Away and Long Ago.' Anybody who is in the middle of a book ought to let it wait until he too has read this most enticing autobiography about childhood, Argentine, ostriches, and South American cowboys." -Heywood Broun

Excerpt from Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early LifeIt was through falling into some such state as that, during which I had a wonderfully clear and continuous vision of the past, that I was tempted - forced I may say - 40 write this account of my early years. I will relate the occasion, as I imagine that the reader who is a psychologist will find as much to interest him in this incident as in anything else contained in the book.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

"The story is told with a skill that makes it much more than a tale of weird happenings in a boy's life addressed merely to young people. In fact, only their elders will be able fully to appreciate it and to understand its significance. It is a book that is filled with the spirit of nature that reaches into the hearts of all who are able to commune with her." -Boston Transcript "Like all of Hudson's work, it is exquisite." -The New York Times "Exquisite...Mr Hudson had already written several books which ensured for his name a prominent place in English literature but, undoubtedly, 'The Little Boy Lost' will be his chief claim to fame, for not only is it an excellent literary work, it is a veritable fountain of youth....Little Martin abandons the home of his parents, away in the Great Plain which, by inference, we assume to be the Argentine Pampas - and finds his way to the ocean after going through a series of most interesting adventures....In this respect, 'The Little Boy Lost' reminds us of 'Don Quixote.'" -The Public "A charming tale of wanderings among strange creatures, among the people of the sky and the little people underground; by the blue water, and in the great forest." -Times "No book has so nearly approached the Heart of Beauty since Charles Kingsley gave us 'The Water Babies.'" -Ladies' Field "A fascinating child romance, full of imagination and originality." -World "The poetry of the story and the vivid beauty of its style give it a texture far richer and more lasting than a mere fairy tale. For such a perfect jewel one craves a finer setting; far better let the mind picture the pages than clutter them with crude drawings." -The Nation "Readers of the author's autobiography will recognize in the opening chapters of this book the reflection of his own childhood. The little boy, Martin, lives alone with his parents on the great pampas. His playmates are the domestic animals and the wild horses of the plain. As he grows older, getting to be about seven, he wanders farther and farther from home, discovering new marvels and experiencing new sensations. Then one day he goes so far that he can not return. The adventures that he meets are compounded, the author says, of 'childish impressions and adventures, with a few dreams and fancies thrown in and two or three native legends and myths.' He has tried to put into the story the quality that he missed in the books read in early life, 'the little thrills that nature itself gave me, which half frightened and fascinated me at the same time, the wonder and mystery of it all." -Book Review Digest "It is after the manner of Richard Jefferies. Will stir the imagination." -Yorkshire Post "A charming fancy. Constant in the love of Nature. Full of enchantment." -Morning Post "Will appeal to the exceptionally imaginative child who is responsive to the beauty of nature." -Booklist

Originally published in 1906 as a section of the author’s larger “School History of the United States,” A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR describes the causes, campaigns, and results of America's war for independence. CONTENTS I. Before the War II. Causes of the War III. The Continental Congress; Bunker Hill IV. Declaration of Independence V. Military Movements of 1776 VI. Struggle for the Hudson Valley VII. Movements of Washington VIII. Foreign Aid IX. War on the Frontier X. War on the Sea XI. Stony Point; Arnold’s Treason XII. War in the South Sample passage: When it was rumored that the soldiers would be sent on a certain night, Paul Revere stood by his steed waiting for a lantern signal in a church tower. When he saw it, he started on his midnight ride to apprise the people. When he reached the little town of Lexington, someone said that he was making too much noise and would awaken the people. “Noise,” cried Revere, “you’ll soon have noise enough; the regulars are coming.” On came the soldiers and when they reached Lexington, a fight occurred in which several were killed. The troops then moved on to Concord. But the farmers, having heard of their coming, seized their muskets and swarmed into Concord by hundreds. A fierce fight ensued. The British were beaten and started to run; but the farmers kept after them, and from behind trees, fences, thickets, and hillocks they poured an incessant fire into the retreating enemy. No doubt the whole British force would have been killed or captured had not General Gage sent reinforcements, who met the fleeing army at Lexington.

William Henry Hudson was a well-respected author and naturalist. Hudson was born in Argentina to two English settlers and he would eventually settle in England where he produced many ornithological studies. Hudson is now best remembered for books such as Green Mansions, A Crystal Age, and The Purple Land That England Lost. Green Mansions, published in 1904, is an exotic romance novel set in a jungle of southeastern Venezuela. The action centers around a traveler named Abel who encounters a bird-singing girl named Rima in the forest.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.