Collins New Naturalist Series – 82 – The New Naturalists – First Edition – 1995

Author: Marren, Peter
Publisher: Collins
Price: £45 including postage in the UK
Publication Date: 1995
Edition: First edition
Size: Octavo
Binding: Original green cloth. Dustwrapper
Condition: Fine in fine dustwrapper

Condition:

Dustjacket design by Robert Gillmor. Cloth bright and clean with clean text block. A fine, tight, clean copy in near fine, clean, very slightly spine-faded and creased dustwrapper. We usually have first editions of all the New Naturalist Series in stock, please contact us for more details.

The New Naturalists : New Naturalist 82: A Brief Overview

The New Naturalists, volume 82 in the celebrated Collins New Naturalist series, occupies a unique position within the collection. Rather than focusing on a particular species, habitat, region, or ecological phenomenon, it turns its attention to the series itself, providing the first comprehensive history of one of the most important publishing enterprises in British natural history.

Written by Peter Marren and Christopher Yates, both distinguished authorities on the history of natural history publishing and the New Naturalist series, the book traces the origins, development, achievements, and enduring influence of a collection that has shaped generations of naturalists, ecologists, conservationists, and collectors.

For anyone interested in the history of British natural history, ecological science, conservation, or publishing, The New Naturalists is an indispensable reference work and one of the most important bibliographical volumes in the entire series.

The Origins of the New Naturalist Series

The New Naturalist series was launched by Collins in 1945 at a time when Britain was emerging from the upheaval of the Second World War. Conceived by an editorial team that included leading figures such as Sir Julian Huxley, James Fisher and Dudley Stamp, the series sought to bridge the gap between professional science and amateur observation.

Its aims were ambitious:

• To encourage the study of British natural history.
• To promote ecological understanding.
• To provide authoritative yet accessible scientific writing.
• To document the wildlife, habitats and landscapes of Britain and Ireland.

The success of this vision is reflected in the remarkable longevity of the series, which remains active more than seventy-five years after its foundation.

A History of the Series

Marren and Yates chart the evolution of the New Naturalist from its earliest post-war volumes through to the late twentieth century. The authors examine how changing scientific knowledge, environmental concerns and publishing practices influenced the direction of the series.

Particular attention is given to:

• Editorial decision-making.
• The selection of authors and subjects.
• Advances in ecological science.
• The growth of conservation awareness.
• The changing relationship between professional and amateur naturalists.

The result is both a publishing history and a broader study of the development of modern British natural history.

The People Behind the Books

One of the most engaging aspects of the volume is its exploration of the individuals who helped shape the series.

The book contains detailed accounts of:

• Founding editors.
• Leading scientific contributors.
• Influential authors.
• Collins publishing staff.
• Naturalists whose work transformed public understanding of the British environment.

These biographical and editorial insights provide valuable context for many of the most celebrated volumes in the series.

The Evolution of Natural History Writing

The New Naturalist series reflects profound changes in ecological thought during the second half of the twentieth century.

Early volumes often concentrated on descriptive natural history, regional studies and species accounts. As ecological science developed, later books increasingly incorporated:

• Population ecology.
• Conservation biology.
• Environmental monitoring.
• Habitat management.
• Long-term scientific datasets.

The New Naturalists demonstrates how the series adapted to these changes while maintaining its commitment to clarity, scholarship and accessibility.

Design, Illustration and Production

Collectors will particularly appreciate the sections devoted to the physical development of the series.

The book examines:

• The distinctive green cloth bindings.
• The celebrated dust-jacket artwork of Clifford and Rosemary Ellis.
• Illustration standards.
• Printing history.
• Design changes through successive decades.

These features have contributed significantly to the collectability of New Naturalist volumes and helped establish the series as one of the most visually recognisable achievements in British publishing.

Bibliographical and Collecting Importance

Among collectors, The New Naturalists is regarded as one of the most useful reference works in the entire series.

The volume provides:

• Publication history.
• Chronological context.
• Editorial background.
• Bibliographical information.
• Insights into the development of individual titles.

As a result, it serves not only as a history of the series but also as an essential guide for collectors seeking a deeper understanding of New Naturalist publishing history.

Significance Within the Series

Few New Naturalist volumes provide such comprehensive insight into the intellectual foundations of the collection itself.

Where most titles examine the natural world directly, The New Naturalists explains the framework through which generations of readers have encountered British wildlife, habitats and ecological science. It reveals how a post-war publishing initiative evolved into one of the most respected and influential natural history series ever produced.

For collectors, naturalists and historians of science alike, New Naturalist 82 remains one of the most informative and rewarding volumes in the entire series.

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