All in all, once you've gone through this collection, there are only two things that need to be done: begin to read it all over again and hanker for more'
-Dileep Padgaonkar, Times of India
Writer, naturalist, 'ecological patriot' and avid nature photographer, M. Krishnan had an astonishingly wide range of interests. His work spanned six decades, and his nature writings are among the most readable ever written in English.
Nature's Spokesman showcases Krishnan's finest essays: on large mammals, little creatures, nature in temple art and folklore, nature's desecration and its conservation, all described in his inimitable style-wry, lucid and humorous. Embellished with Krishnan's own sketches, this landmark volume, edited by Ramachandra Guha, also includes a biographical introduction.
'It is clearly time that a new generation was introduced to Krishnan's timeless essays. I am glad that this pleasurable but onerous task has been undertaken by that other great stylist and nature lover, Ramachandra Guha'
-Indian Express
'This timely volume of fine writing by a pioneering environmentalist will reintroduce Krishnan to many new readers and also earn the gratitude of his older fan club'
-Outlook
Acknowledgements | ix | |
Introduction | 1 | |
NATURE VENERATED | ||
1 | The Landscape of Love | 23 |
2 | Fabular Fauna | 28 |
3 | Ancient Depictions of Hanuman | 33 |
4 | The Shawk | 36 |
5 | The Southern Lions | 39 |
6 | Asoka's Lions | 42 |
7 | A Bird Emblem For India | 46 |
NATURE'S MARVELS | ||
8 | Tiger Talk | 53 |
9 | When Elephants Die | 56 |
10 | Python at Home | 60 |
11 | The Disappearing Cheetah | 64 |
12 | An Afternoon Idyll | 68 |
13 | Onti, Or A Lone Champion | 72 |
14 | Five Encounters | 76 |
NATURE'S MINIATURES | ||
15 | A City's Bird Life | 89 |
16 | Rescuing A Fledgling | 95 |
17 | The Anril | 98 |
18 | A Flight of Danaids | 101 |
19 | Argemone Mexicana | 104 |
20 | Lenin The Lizard | 107 |
21 | That Gentleman, The Toad | 110 |
22 | The Dinky Desert Fox | 113 |
23 | Incessant Rain | 116 |
NATURE'S WARD | ||
24 | Monkey Versus Man | 121 |
25 | Bashing A Bandicoot | 124 |
26 | Death of A Snake | 127 |
27 | Bommakka | 131 |
28 | Freebooters Of The Air | 135 |
29 | Cat Fight | 138 |
30 | The Jellicut | 142 |
31 | The Dying Gladiator | 145 |
NATURE THEORIZED | ||
32 | The Vengeful Cobra | 151 |
33 | Sleeping Dogs | 155 |
34 | The Aquatic Sambar | 158 |
35 | Slow-Breeding Rhinos | 161 |
36 | Mixed Issue | 164 |
37 | The Aggression Of The Vegetarian | 167 |
38 | The North-South Rule | 170 |
39 | The 'Pinch Period' | 173 |
NATURE DOMESTICATED | ||
40 | My Distinguished Neighbour | 179 |
41 | Amrit Mahal | 182 |
42 | Versatile Neem | 185 |
43 | Jungli Phal | 188 |
44 | Walchand | 191 |
45 | The Pariah | 194 |
46 | Chocki | 197 |
NATURE DESECRATED | ||
47 | Captive-Bred Mugger | 205 |
48 | Hounding The Sloth | 208 |
49 | The Vanishing Bustard | 211 |
50 | A Lament For Lost Wood | 214 |
51 | Gilding The Lily | 219 |
52 | A Warning To Aesthetes | 223 |
53 | On Shikar English | 226 |
54 | A Red Test For The Young | 229 |
55 | Nature Study | 232 |
NATURE PROTECTED | ||
56 | The Bishnoi And Blackbuck | 239 |
57 | Vedanthangal | 242 |
58 | The Charm of Chilka | 249 |
59 | Planning A Park | 251 |
60 | Animals of The Dwindling Forest | 257 |
61 | Ecological Patriotism | 267 |
NATURE TRANSCENDED | ||
62 | The Genus Feringhee | 277 |
63 | A Letter To The Editor | 281 |
64 | A Suggestion To Government | 284 |
65 | Tests In Far Places | 286 |
66 | The Revenge | 293 |
67 | The Truth About An Old Lady | 297 |
68 | Verse For A Living | 302 |
All in all, once you've gone through this collection, there are only two things that need to be done: begin to read it all over again and hanker for more'
-Dileep Padgaonkar, Times of India
Writer, naturalist, 'ecological patriot' and avid nature photographer, M. Krishnan had an astonishingly wide range of interests. His work spanned six decades, and his nature writings are among the most readable ever written in English.
Nature's Spokesman showcases Krishnan's finest essays: on large mammals, little creatures, nature in temple art and folklore, nature's desecration and its conservation, all described in his inimitable style-wry, lucid and humorous. Embellished with Krishnan's own sketches, this landmark volume, edited by Ramachandra Guha, also includes a biographical introduction.
'It is clearly time that a new generation was introduced to Krishnan's timeless essays. I am glad that this pleasurable but onerous task has been undertaken by that other great stylist and nature lover, Ramachandra Guha'
-Indian Express
'This timely volume of fine writing by a pioneering environmentalist will reintroduce Krishnan to many new readers and also earn the gratitude of his older fan club'
-Outlook
Acknowledgements | ix | |
Introduction | 1 | |
NATURE VENERATED | ||
1 | The Landscape of Love | 23 |
2 | Fabular Fauna | 28 |
3 | Ancient Depictions of Hanuman | 33 |
4 | The Shawk | 36 |
5 | The Southern Lions | 39 |
6 | Asoka's Lions | 42 |
7 | A Bird Emblem For India | 46 |
NATURE'S MARVELS | ||
8 | Tiger Talk | 53 |
9 | When Elephants Die | 56 |
10 | Python at Home | 60 |
11 | The Disappearing Cheetah | 64 |
12 | An Afternoon Idyll | 68 |
13 | Onti, Or A Lone Champion | 72 |
14 | Five Encounters | 76 |
NATURE'S MINIATURES | ||
15 | A City's Bird Life | 89 |
16 | Rescuing A Fledgling | 95 |
17 | The Anril | 98 |
18 | A Flight of Danaids | 101 |
19 | Argemone Mexicana | 104 |
20 | Lenin The Lizard | 107 |
21 | That Gentleman, The Toad | 110 |
22 | The Dinky Desert Fox | 113 |
23 | Incessant Rain | 116 |
NATURE'S WARD | ||
24 | Monkey Versus Man | 121 |
25 | Bashing A Bandicoot | 124 |
26 | Death of A Snake | 127 |
27 | Bommakka | 131 |
28 | Freebooters Of The Air | 135 |
29 | Cat Fight | 138 |
30 | The Jellicut | 142 |
31 | The Dying Gladiator | 145 |
NATURE THEORIZED | ||
32 | The Vengeful Cobra | 151 |
33 | Sleeping Dogs | 155 |
34 | The Aquatic Sambar | 158 |
35 | Slow-Breeding Rhinos | 161 |
36 | Mixed Issue | 164 |
37 | The Aggression Of The Vegetarian | 167 |
38 | The North-South Rule | 170 |
39 | The 'Pinch Period' | 173 |
NATURE DOMESTICATED | ||
40 | My Distinguished Neighbour | 179 |
41 | Amrit Mahal | 182 |
42 | Versatile Neem | 185 |
43 | Jungli Phal | 188 |
44 | Walchand | 191 |
45 | The Pariah | 194 |
46 | Chocki | 197 |
NATURE DESECRATED | ||
47 | Captive-Bred Mugger | 205 |
48 | Hounding The Sloth | 208 |
49 | The Vanishing Bustard | 211 |
50 | A Lament For Lost Wood | 214 |
51 | Gilding The Lily | 219 |
52 | A Warning To Aesthetes | 223 |
53 | On Shikar English | 226 |
54 | A Red Test For The Young | 229 |
55 | Nature Study | 232 |
NATURE PROTECTED | ||
56 | The Bishnoi And Blackbuck | 239 |
57 | Vedanthangal | 242 |
58 | The Charm of Chilka | 249 |
59 | Planning A Park | 251 |
60 | Animals of The Dwindling Forest | 257 |
61 | Ecological Patriotism | 267 |
NATURE TRANSCENDED | ||
62 | The Genus Feringhee | 277 |
63 | A Letter To The Editor | 281 |
64 | A Suggestion To Government | 284 |
65 | Tests In Far Places | 286 |
66 | The Revenge | 293 |
67 | The Truth About An Old Lady | 297 |
68 | Verse For A Living | 302 |